A Hawk's Tears
by Fyras14
Summary: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more...full summary inside. AU Twilight Princess.Updates Pending.
1. Chapter 1

Fyras14: Yo, folks! Hiya doing? Me...well, you know...school, tests, writer's block...etc. Sorry to tell you folks that I had to delete these story for a few reasons...some of them being the fact that I didnt like the way the story was going...after re-reading the whole tale, I decided to delete it to get a better idea on how I was going to redo it, and also to not confuse you folks with the updates of rewritten chapters. For the time being, I have decided to update on Mondays, at least until I get to rewritting all of the other chapters...as of now, only four of these chapters have been completely rewritten...but dont worry, the story will be polished and I will eventually finished it!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.  
**

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Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. _

**-F. Scott Fitzgerald**

**-Prologue-**

**-Defeat and Retreat-**

Zelda took a deep breath, then, exhale, later missing the feeling of the air inside her lungs. Yet, she wasn't worry about breathing, at least, that was the last of her concerns.

Royal Knights stood around her throne, covering any sensitive spot that would leave their princess open for attack, as they all glared with covered heads at the giant metal door that stood at the end of the chamber, barely hearing the agonizing screams of the men hiding behind it. Their mission: protect the princess from whatever stood fighting amongst the sounds of screaming man behind the door. Unlike them, however, the princess that they protected knew that this protection of theirs was in vain, but the young woman wasn't going to banish the courage that they held so firmly in their hearts, and take away what little faith they had in defeating the enemy.

_How could things take a turn for the worst? _Zelda asked herself over and over again, as she heard the distant screams of her loyal men. Hyrule had no enemies, and the only enemies the Hylians had ever known had integrated into their society, disappearing altogether and becoming one with the Hylians. So, how had this unknown enemy come from? Who was their leader? Who was responsible for the deaths of many men or women that stood their ground against them? She fought with the argue to cry, smelling the scent of the tears that lay dry upon her cheeks, as she tried too hard to not show any weakness, lest the resolve of her knights shatter.

The princess begged to the Goddesses, makers of the holy Triforce and of the land, to give her strength, knowing full well that the wisdom she carried wouldn't be enough to win this fight. That chance of sudden strength never came, as the large doors were thrown off their hinges, flying flawlessly across the room, like paper. Everyone in the throne room held their breath, only to be rather surprised by the dark shadow that suddenly made its way towards them, clouding a few knights by its presence. Soon, the darkness disappeared, and as if on cue, strange monsters appeared from within it, clouded in black, heads bowed and covered by strange helmets. This creatures fought against the coming knights, who all fell under their foes might, causing a few others to back away as Zelda let out a small gasp of surprise, but quickly covered it up, holding the rapier in her hand tighter by the hilt.

She watched calmly, shaking from the inside, cursing for her weakness, as her men fell, one by one. Most of the knights that had stood around her, were slowly losing their courage, but not losing their ground, shields and swords up, ready to jump at their enemy at the first chance they got. But, it never came.

As most of her men lay dead or dying, another strange creature made its way inside the room, accompanied by a pair of creatures on its sides. Unlike the creatures that had come from the shadows, this creature could walk on its hind legs, instead of walking on all four like the creatures had done. This newcomer also wore dark, yet extravagant robes that carried with them many unknown symbols, that Zelda could not recognize. A large helmet covered the creature's face, making Zelda hard to identify it. Was it a creature, or a man? As she was debating this, the creature finally stopped, and glanced at the princess with his covered head, as everything stood in silence, except for the innocent groans coming from the fallen knights.

It didn't take long for Zelda to deduce that this creature was the leader of the pack, and was extremely surprised to hear the creature speak. "It is time for you to choose," the leader began calmly, as his helmeted head glared at the princess, who was unaware that her hands were shaking. "surrender…or die…" Zelda stood numb, as she repeated the leader's demands on her head, flinching inwardly as one of her knights was grabbed by neck and lifted from the floor by one of the creatures. Their leader chuckled, catching the princess's attention once more, before he continued to speak. "Oh…and yes…this is a question for all the land and people of Hyrule," he informed her. "It is your choice…Life? Or death!" Both leaders stared at each other in silence, the princess's knights looking back at her, wondering what she was planning to do. But no matter how much planning Zelda did, she had no choice. This was the end of the line, and she knew it. She was outnumbered, the bodies of her men lay on the floor, mixing their blood together with the long red carpet that decorated the middle of the marble floor, their groans music to the enemies' ears. Life or death?

Taking a deep breath, the princess glanced down at her sword, before she let go of the hilt, watching silently as it hit the ground, causing a loud CLANK! to resonate across the room. With her sword on the ground, Zelda had given the enemy her answer; life. "I have done what you asked," the princess said after a while, looking up from her fallen weapon to glare at the fiend that stood before her. "now, leave my people alone…take over this throne and land, but let my people live." Zelda could feel the sympathetic looks of her knights, those that had stood by her side, as if they understood her decision, only for their attention to be stolen by the strange one's loud laugh.

"Oh...yes, your people shall be left alone, forever wandering as spirits on the Twilight." Zelda's eyes widen at the mention of the word 'Twilight', but didn't say anything as the leader spoke again. "Both light and shadow shall become as one, forever…" He extended an arm towards Zelda, revealing a skinny black hand, gesturing for the knights that surrounded her to move. The men all hesitated, and didn't even budge from their place. "Move or die," the leader told them simply. None moved. "now, it is your choice…" No knights moved from their spot, and were rather surprised a second later when the princess ordered them to move.

"But, princess…" they began, only to be caught off by her voice.

"Move…" she ordered. The knights glanced at the leader, before they calmly retreated as far as they could away from their leader, who stood her ground, her face calm and unmoved but a hidden expression of hate on her eyes. The leader stood quiet for a while, before he chuckled once more.

"Now, princess…" he began, still pointing his hand at her. "…this is a gift from me…from my god…" Soon as he spoke those words, the leader's hand was engulfed in dark, sparkling energy around it. Zelda gasped in shock, and took a step back, feeling the rough throne behind her, forgetting that it was even there. Now the princess knew the reason why he had waited this long, he wanted to kill her!

"Princess!" the group of knights cried, but where stopped by the black creatures, that held them down, making them watch as the dark ball on the leader's hand get larger and larger by the second. As the ball of dark magic began to grow, Zelda closed her eyes, and was about to whisper a spell, when suddenly she heard a small chuckle coming from the leader, who shook his covered head as if amused.

"Ah, and before I forget, princess…any magic on your part shall result in the death of one man in this room," the leader glanced at a knight, that was raised to his feet by a creature, who clutched the man's neck, barely allowing him to breath. "I do hope you don't want the death of one man…or probably two on your conscience…do you now, your highness?" he asked her, mockingly. Zelda glared at the leader as she stopped her spell altogether, and mentally asked how had he known about her magic. This strange creature or man, this evil king of another realm, he knew what she was capable of, and now, she couldn't even defend herself because this creature used her own men as his shield. She was the defenseless one, she was about to die. "…ah, good…your weak heart won't let you do that, would it, princess? But, I have said enough, and now, for your gift…"

Before Zelda had any time to blink, the ball of dark magic left the leaders hand, and struck the princess straight on her chest. A gasp of pain left her lips, before she hit her throne with her body. Screams came from the knights, crying out for their princess, as Zelda slid down her throne and fell face down on the marble floor, decorating it with crimson. She coughed blood, and never had the chance to spot the second ball of dark magic that crashed against her body, making her slam against the throne with her head, and then, fall down to her side, coughing even more blood, mixed with salty tears that had found their way out of her eyes, Zelda's mind going in circles. As she coughed, the princess didn't noticed as the leader moved towards her, only when he kneeled close to her, did she finally notice him. "I hope you enjoyed your…gift…but I have yet to finish…" he told her, leaning his helmet closer to Zelda's face. "My god tells me you have something that is his…but, the form you have now…will cause him…troubles…" Before Zelda could even blink, the evil king grabbed her by the neck with that skinny hand of his, and held her up, not caring as the princess struggled against his painful hold. "You shall be spared…but, not for long," he whispered, as dark sparkles of magic began to surround the hand that was holding Zelda's neck, which in turn, began to circle the princess's body, causing her to cry out in pain, despite the hand still clutching her throat.

Energy encircled her entire being, shocking her at every possible muscle, making her cry out in pain. By now, however, the evil king had let go of her neck, but still, the energy went on and on around her body, and then, a large veil of darkness covered her, and then that's when the changes began to take place.

Zelda let out an agonizing cry as she grew smaller in size, her face began to take a strange shape, causing her to fall down to the ground, her hands trashed about, as they too began to change, soon her flesh and bone followed. The princess could feel her skin ripping apart, her bones breaking in two, taking a different shape altogether. New skin seemed to replace her old one, as the more bones cracked and more screams were heard, but those did not belong to the princess. Zelda's royal kngiths watched from a distance, as the princess began to transform, and soon, the body of a young woman stood no more in her place, but that of a small hawk. The princess of Hyrule was no more, having been replaced by a small brown hawk, extending its wings as it prepared to fly. They watched with shocked expressions on their faces as the hawk collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily, but still conscious, with the leader of the dark creatures observing her behind that helmet he wore.

"…hehehehe…" he chuckled after a while, watching in interest as the blood fell from the body of the hawk to the marbled floor, combining crimson with crimson. "You shall be all that remains, nothing but feathers…" But Zelda didn't hear him, and watched him, with confused eyes, as he stood up and ordered one of the creatures to take care of her. She watched the creature turn towards her, and slowly make its way to her, as her knights were dragged away kicking, screaming, and crying out in pain, watching as their princess made hawk was taken prisoner. _…I can't….let…this…happen!_ Zelda cried mentally, and with little strength, the princess did a desperate move, no longer thinking clearly with her mind.

Filled with a sudden will, the hawk managed to stand up, and flap its wings, before mustering enough senses and then, take flight out of the grasp of the creatures and their king. "Fools!" cried their leader, as the creatures tried in vain to catch the hawk from the air. "Catch her! Catch her!" But the creatures could not catch the hawk, who moved swiftly away from their grasp, before finally leaving the safe haven that was once her home, not daring to look back, no longer was a human taking control of the hawk's mind, but an animal. And so, said animal flew.

Castle Town became nothing but a memory to the young hawk, as trees and grassland decorated her sight, with Zelda desperately fighting with the animal side to regain control. The hawk shook head on the air, trying to regain her senses, but that had been a wrong move. Pain that she had felt previously return, causing dizziness upon her sight, before every flap of her wings became a painful process. Soon, the hawk felt herself falling, and she could not regain herself, be it human or not. Zelda and beast, unable to control one another, fell to the ground below at a fast pace. _**This is it, **_both sides thought as they descended to the trees below, crashing against a few branches which snapped under their weight, as they went down with the small hawk. But then, a cool and wet feeling washed over her, and finally Zelda took control, only to lose it upon the sight of worried cerulean eyes and messy dirty blonde hair, before everything turned dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fyras14: **Hello, people! I know a few of you are upset over me starting this story all over...but, well, it had to be done. This is an early update for all you guys, and for you that already familiar with the original story that was deleted, this chapter is rather familiar...however, the changes begin in chpater 4.

Since I said i will be rewriting the story...all of it, literally, I will be going a little slow on the updates...at least until chapter four is posted. For now, do enjoy this small update.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn._

**-Harriet Beecher Stowe**

**-Chapter One-**

**-The Savior-**

Out of all the things that Link expected to see this day, this one really took the cake. What had started as a normal day, had ended with the appearance of a small brown hawk falling from the skies straight into the Ordon Spring's waters.

Link had been rather spooked by the hawk's sudden appearance, and had even jumped to attack the unknown foe, but upon seeing the bleeding hawk, barely breathing and about to drown on the water, the young man's guard had fallen, and he had went straight for to the hawk's aid. He took the small animal, still wet and bloody, in his hands, and examined it. It was small, brown all over, with a small white streak on the forehead that went down until it touched its beak, which was covered in dry blood, which made Link worry even more. He quickly made his way out of the spring, forgetting his shirt and about taking a bath, as he held the hawk tighter under his grip, checking it once or twice to make sure it was still breathing.

It didn't take him long to reach his wooden home that lay on top of a tree, but either way, he hurriedly climbed the lone ladder that led to his home, holding unto the injured hawk with one hand, while he balanced the other into holding the ladder. Once he reached the end of the ladder, the young man almost destroyed his door to get in. He laid the put the small hawk on his bed, not caring if the poor animal's blood dirtied his bed. Link examined the small creature, calmly taking her beak into his hands, and then, spreading out the animal's wings to inspect the damage. The young man flinched a bit as he felt the bone breaking under his grip, and decided not to touch the hawk's wings, as he went towards the other side of the room to fetch some things. Seconds later, Link went back to the hawk's side, carrying with him a small bow filled with water, hanging by its side a white towel, which Link soon removed and dipped into the liquid. As he began to move to the clean the hawk's injuries, Link murmured, "Who could have done this?"

Every since he could remember, since living in Ordon Village, Link had seen many kinds of animal fights, especially between the Ordon goats he had to take care of back in the ranch. He had seen small quarrels go from bad to worse, but at least, the goats and other animals had fled before they lost their lives. This hawk, however, appeared to not have any choice over the fight. It was full of scratches wherever Link looked, blood leaving its mark everywhere including its beak, as if the hawk had actually coughed blood. The hawk appeared to have been found by a pair of Bulblins and almost had been clubbed to death, instead of having fought another hawk. In fact, Link even doubted this hawk had started a fight with any of the other hawks, they were normally peaceful animals, rarely caring about causing trouble for the villagers, much less causing trouble to one of their own.

Link just shook his head and sighed, deciding it was no use thinking about it as he finally finished cleaning the poor animal's wounds, dipping the once white towel, into the light red water that was now inside the bowl. Grabbing a small blanket out of the spare ones he had with him, Link wrapped the small hawk inside a small cocoon, taking great care to not upset the animal more. Now, another question plagued him, how was he going to take care of this hawk? Link only knew how to care for both horses and goats, but he hadn't really bothered to know how to treat birds for injuries, as he didn't care for one such as this small hawk. But without knowledge on how to care for the hawk, Link would surely bury it before he could even help it, so, instead of debating what to do, picked up the cocoon of a hawk before he muttered to no one in particular, "I better take him to Rusl…"

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"Well, she certainly looks pretty bad, Link," spoke a blonde haired man, as he examined the small hawk that lay with wings spread up on top of his living room's table.

"She?" Link asked, as he watched as the older blonde man examined the small hawk, giving said man a confused look. "This hawk's a she?" he asked again, scratching his head in confusion.

"It's kinda hard to tell, isn't it?" the older man laughed, but soon stopped, as he began to move his fingers to grip the animal's wings, extending them so he could see, or rather, hear the damage. "She's probably got a broken wing here…can you hear the bone breaking, here?" The young man leaned closer to the table, until he was close enough to the hawk's wings. He flinched once he heard a small snapping sound, as the older man extended the hawk's wings farther to prove his point. "You shouldn't worry too much about her, though. Birds are known to heal fast. She will be as good as new in no time, or something over a month or two…" Link raised an eyebrow at the older man, as he put the hawk in a more comfortable position.

"You sure about that, Rusl?" The older man, Rusl, nodded.

"Of course! Don't you remember that poor old hawk that lived with me and Uli just a few months ago?"

"You had a hawk over?" Link asked him, making Rusl laugh.

"Well, maybe you don't remember…but, still, as I was saying…birds heal fast, and the old timer was already good to go after a couple of days. I remember seeing Uli's face, so glad to see the back of him…" Link chuckled a bit, and patted the older man's shoulder gently, as he recalled Rusl's wife, Uli. She was a beautiful woman, at least ten years older than Link himself, that treated him like a son. The woman would always invite Link for dinner any chance she got, and Link soon learned to love her invitations apart from her wonderful cooking skills. Unfortunately, Uli had a bit of a dislike for animals, although she could stand horses, goats, and the all-annoying cuccos. Link wouldn't find it surprising to hear that Uli had actually shooed away the old hawk that had come lived with them.

"Anyway, so, she's going to be fine?" the young man asked, as he shifted his gaze at the sleeping hawk.

"Yep. Some caring here and there, and she should be good as new, as if nothing had happened to her. But, are you still sure you wanna take care of her, Link? This hawk may be injured, but she's still an animal, and trust me when I say, she'll be nothing but friendly to you when she wakes up…"

"Don't worry, I found her so I'm the one that will take care of her, besides I wouldn't want to bother you or Uli for that matter, she's got a lot to take care of this days…" Rusl sighed, completely forgetting that his wife was busy with child. It would be asking too much if they had to care for another animal again, so in the end, Rusl nodded.

"Fine, then…just be careful, Link…wild animals are never friendly for humans the first time around."

"I take care of rampaging goats all the time, Rusl, what can a little hawk do that they can't?"

"It's just a warning, just remember, she won't be friendly when she wakes up."

"I'll be fine, Rusl, it will be nothing to worry about…besides, I have taken care of animals triple this little lady's size, what would happen?"

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"Ow! OW!" Link cried out in pain, as the small hawk that set on the small bed bit his finger for what seemed to be the second time that day. He managed to stop the blood that was making its way out of his bitten finger as the small hawk cried out in annoyance, wishing to grab another finger that belonged to the retreating young man.

Link cursed mentally as he cleaned his bloody finger, glancing a bit at the injured hawk, who still squeaked in anger, flapping her wings in anger at some unknown foe. It had only been two weeks ago since the small hawk had taken residence up in Link's home, having spent a short week on bed, before the next week she turned into a wild banshee, crying out warnings here and there, looking at anything that her eyes could take in with some sort of daze, before she went to bite the young man that had taken her in. Link, unfortunately, had had enough about the hawk trying to bite his fingers off, that he had quickly resorted to tie her small beak with a small rope every time she got out of hand with her 'wild attacks'. He, also, apart from forcing to tie her beak down, had to take her everywhere he went, but that never seemed to stop her.

After he had finished cleaning his finger and tying a small bandage over it, Link took a deep breath, before he grabbed the small hawk unawares. The hawk squeaked in surprise, and fought all the way out of the young man's wooden home, making Link groan a bit, as the hawk struggled under his grip. Maybe Rusl was right about this. Perhaps he wouldn't be suffering any major injuries if he had listened to the older man and not acted friendly towards the small hawk, whom he had named Shannon, after having enough about calling her 'hawk', 'she', or 'her' all throughout her stay at Link's home. Shannon had turned out to be nothing but trouble, but the young goat herder couldn't just blame her, after all, he clearly understood her confusion and rage. Animals were never friendly when they were hurt, and Link could understand it, at least for the time being, as her bad mood swings were beginning to be a bother to him.

As Link walked towards the large farm at the end of the village with Shannon on hand, some of the Ordon villagers couldn't help but sent sympathetic looks to the young man, already familiar with Shannon's fits. They watched as Link tried in vain to control the rampaging hawk that he held on his hands, to no avail. "She's a wild one, isn't she?" spoke a voice from behind the young man, almost making him jump and drop the hawk in the process. Link quickly turned his attention to the owner of the voice who had just spoken to him. She was a rather short girl, with short light blonde hair fixed up in a strange way, wearing the traditional Ordon clothes that Link always wore.

"Oh, Ilia! You scared me!" The girl, Ilia, giggled.

"Sorry, Link…how are you this day?" she asked him, making Link roll his eyes, noticing the sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, I'm doing alright…I actually started my day taking care of some troublesome hawk, who bit my fingers…all over again…but, other than that, all good." Link told her, as he struggled with the bird on his arms. Ilia only shook her head, but still couldn't hide her chuckle.

"It's not like you can blame her, though," Ilia said after finishing with her giggles. "Poor Shannon hasn't healed properly yet…" She and Link stopped walking, as they both stared at the rampaging hawk on Link's arms. "Have you been taking her to the spring?" she asked him after a while.

"I have, but she seems more annoyed by the water than anything…she's splashing all around, and sometimes it makes me wonder who's getting the bath, me or her…" Ilia giggled at this, but was quick to frown when she spotted the rope tied around the small hawk's beak.

"She's still biting?" she asked the young man, to which he nodded, as he showed her his bandaged fingers, all the while he held Shannon with his other arm.

"Twice she bit me here, the third time she almost ended with my finger as dinner…" Ilia gave Link an understanding nod, watching as Link held the hawk again, and struggled once more against Shannon's wild moving. The girl, too, had gotten one of Shannon's infamous 'Let me eat your finger' bites, after she had first met the bird. Ilia had easily forgiving her for that small accident, understanding that the poor hawk was merely confused, unfortunately, her father, the Mayor of Ordon Village, Bo, had not been to kind, when he had learned what Shannon had done to his daughter. The Mayor had immediately walked up to Link's home and ordered the lad to either sacrifice the animal or leave it in the wilderness, because according to him, Shannon was too dangerous to keep around.

"What if that bird kills one of them kids?" he had asked Link. "Take their eyes out? Leave them without a single finger!" It had taken much convincing from Link and Ilia, and the patience of a whole day, to finally change the Mayor's mind, but still, Bo wanted her out of the village as soon as she had healed. Despite what the Mayor had said about Shannon, most of the village children had grown to like the hawk, despite her obvious dislike for anything that moved. They had always come to visit the poor bird, but watching her was the only thing they could do, as Link had strictly prohibited any of them for trying to pet her. All the kids were forced to watch, as Link, or sometimes Ilia, and rarely the village's swordsman, Rusl, control the bird, before they got bored and left.

"I bet if she puts her mind into it, one of this days, Shannon will end up with one of my fingers…"

"Ah, it's not she'll want your fingers, anyway…" Ilia told him, cutely rolling her eyes, as the young man glared at her, not really caring if the hawk he held had stopped struggling under his grip. While Link had not taken notice of this event, Ilia had, as she looked down at Shannon. "She stopped?" Link gave her a confused look, before he, too, looked down at the hawk, who had turned quite passive, looking around in some sort of daze, but not struggling whatsoever.

"She clamped up?" Link asked himself, before he murmured, "This is the third time this week…"

"Third?" Link nodded back at his friend.

"Yeah, every since she woke up, one day or another, she'll just randomly stop acting all wild, and then, look around the place…before she took off with her rage again..she managed to stay calmer longer this time around…"

"Maybe she's recovering?" Ilia offered, to which Link pouted. Both had started walking by then, as Link told her,

"I hope she is, I can't spare more fingers on her," Ilia only laughed, as the two continued their walk towards the Ordon Ranch, with Ilia waving at some of the villagers for herself and Link, who in turn said a small hello, as his two hands were busy with the hawk under his grip. Finally, the two teenagers made it to the gates of the ranch, spotting a chestnut colored mare with white hair, trotting towards them. Next to the mare was a tall man, the ranch owner, Fado, who nodded at Link and Ilia, as he passed a hand over his dark blonde hair.

"Hey, how you guys doing?" the big man asked them, once he and the horse were close to them. Ilia smiled back, as she patted the mare on her head, before she turned to Fado.

"I'm fine…and Link is between the border of great and miserable…" Fado chuckled as Link sent his friend a scowl, but he soon stopped once he spotted the small hawk on Link's arms.

"And I think I see why…" he muttered, catching the teenagers' attention. "That feathered beast still causing ya trouble, Link?" Ilia shook her head at the nickname that Fado, and half of the villagers had for poor Shannon, but Link, only smiled and shook his head.

"Not really, besides, she's calm today…"

"Yeah, I can see that…but, she sure looks calm…she okay?"

"Yeah, she sort of goes like this for a while, or so…it is getting natural this days..besides, she isn't in a fit anymore, and that's something to be glad about." Link told him, patting the hawk's head gently as he said it. Shannon only blinked as her head was touched, and then, looked from left to right before blinking again. She appeared to wanting to figure something out. "So," Link went on, stopping with his patting, and looking back at Fado. "the goats don't need herding today?" Fado only grinned.

"No. Some of them goats are still calm at this hour of the day, and it seems, that little feathered beast is, too…"

"Ah, come on, Fado, leave poor Shannon alone!" Ilia told him, pouting a bit. The big man only rolled his eyes.

"Come now, you…it's not like she was acting like a real lady back in the day when Link brought her in…" Ilia sighed, while Link only chuckled and shook his head. All three humans went on to keep on talking, completely ignoring the small hawk, that was on Link's arms at that moment. The hawk began to look around, before a thought finally passed through her small mind,

_**Where…am…I?**_


	3. Chapter 3

Fyras14: Yo, folks! Sorry for the late update! I just got Super Mario Galaxy 2 and well you can guess what took my time...both of us, me and my brother, were playing for almost all day...addicting game that one, and really nice too...sigh...if only Skyward Sword were here now...well, I can only wish...

Now, as I said, the chapters will look almost alike from here and out, but a few things will change, especially the story and some parts of it all...Next week's chapter might come a little late, still working on it.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience._

**-Jane Wagner**

**-Chapter Two-**

**-Ordon-**

_** Where…am…I? **_Zelda wondered, as she blinked, trying to take in the surroundings that had suddenly appeared before her. Everywhere she looked, the world was going all around, fuzzy even. The princess blinked once more, trying hard to adjust her vision, and her ears, as she could hear strange things speaking around her, but the voices or sounds came out as if the winds were talking to the leaves of the trees.

It didn't take her long to recover her sight and her hearing, finally recognizing that she was around some sort of plain…or ranch, considering the fact that she could spot some wooden fences and some goats. Not really sure what she was doing in a ranch in the first place, so the princess's first thought was to ask what she was doing here in a ranch, of all places. Zelda was about to open her mouth to speak, when suddenly she realized that something was holding it closed. When Zelda went to remove the material from her mouth, she found out that her hands were nowhere to be seen. No matter where she looked, Zelda couldn't find her hands, and that struck her as rather odd. Here she was, in some random ranch with goats, with something on her mouth, and instead of hands, she could see….wings! Where did those wings come from? Zelda soon felt the need to move her unseen hands, only to find with a great shock, that the wings moved in the direction that the princess wished her arms to move into. Deciding that something was terribly wrong, Zelda went to see her body, only to let out a strangled squeak in shock.

Everywhere she looked, she could see brown feathers decorating her body, small like talons were also part of the sight that Zelda was forced to see. The princess couldn't stop herself from looking around frantically, realizing in a short while that she also had a beak. She looked around herself again, wondering if her appearance was but a mere joke, or perhaps if she was dreaming…but, no matter how hard she looked, she was still a hawk, and she was still in a ranch. Suddenly, however, another thought hit her…why wasn't she…in her cast—WAIT! The castle! Those beasts that came from the shadows! That evil king! Worry shot through her entire being as she began to recall the past events, and so, she started a frantic attempt to free herself from whatever held her down. Pain began to shot from somewhere around her arm, but she didn't care, the only thing she cared about was to be free of whatever held her down, but then, something else happened.

"Whoa! Easy, girl! Easy!" cried an unknown voice from somewhere, making Zelda stop, recognizing that voice. She looked up, and faced up towards a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The hawk princess blinked in confusion, finally calming down, as the young man sighed in relief, muttering something about strange behavior. Zelda had found it odd, too, that she had stopped when she heard that young man's voice; she had recognized it. But, how? She had never met this young man before, nor any of his companions for that matter, who were all looking at her in mild concern.

"She sure calms fast, eh, pal?" one of the young man's companions, a taller and older man spoke, looking at Zelda curiously.

"You think she's sick again?" asked the other companion, a young woman, who looked at her in concern.

"Well, I doubt she's playing a game…" Zelda's captor told her, glancing down at Zelda, troubled. "You are beginning to worry me, Shannon…" The hawk princess suddenly blinked at the mentioned of that name. _**Shannon? **_Zelda wondered. _**Who is he talking abou—oh! **_It didn't take long for the hawk princess to remember that she was an animal now, looking down at herself once more. _**He must mean…me…**_the hawk princess thought sadly.

"You sure she's not sick or something?" asked the big man, to which the young man answered with a shake of the head.

"She doesn't look sick, although she does look a bit tad alert…"

"Well, at least look at the bright sight," the young lady began, smiling brightly. "she isn't trashing about anymore, nor biting your fingers off!" Zelda was rather taken back by the girl's remark. Had she been trashing about? Biting her captor's fingers! Her? Surely it was a mistake! The princess of Hyrule couldn't possibly have done all that…well, she wasn't the princess anymore, that was a fact. But, even so… "She's looking better than she had been before, doesn't she?"

"Better…if you weren't to count the broken wing, Ilia…but, I guess you have a point, but she's still far from better…" The girl, Ilia, patted the hawk princess's head, while the latter looked down at her bandaged wing, barely noticing the bandage was there. _**Hmm…I guess that explains the pain from earlier…**_

"I still think she's okay, Link…Shannon looks like she recently woke up from some sort of nightmare."

"I'm still not too sure about that, Ilia," Zelda's captor, Link spoke up, worry evident in his voice.

"**Well, if one were to ask me," **spoke another from somewhere around the place. **"I would say she was quite fine." **Zelda blinked in confusion as a fourth person spoke, and she struggled to find out who had just spoken, and had been ignored by the others as they continued to talk about the hawk princess. **"Over here, little hawk!" **It didn't take long for Zelda to find the fourth person, but she was rather surprised when she was staring face to face to a nearby chestnut colored mare, who nodded her head back at her. The hawk princess was rather surprised that she could understand the horse, but then she realized her situation and then reasoned that it explained why she could understand the mare. **"It seems you have awaken from your malady, little hawk!" **the mare went on, making Zelda look back at her confused. Malady? What was this mare talking about? **"It is good to know that you are not crying out madly anymore, little hawk…poor thing, you were suffering for quite some time…my master, Link, had a hard time controlling you…especially after you bit his fingers…" **Biting and crying at madly? Hadn't that Ilia girl said that she had been trashing about?

_**I must have developed some sort of fever after I was injured…**_Zelda reasoned, as she recalled the events of the castle, the memories coming to her quickly, but nothing after that, except what she was experiencing now.

"**It was kind of hard to understand the pain you were going through, little hawk," **the mare went on, shaking her head a bit. **"It was hard to tell if you were angry or desperate…but, oh, I forgot my manners…talking to you all of the sudden without introducing myself…my name is Epona. Nice to…oh, I seem to have forgotten, too, that you cannot speak for the moment." **Zelda gave the mare, Epona, a confused look, and tried to speak for herself. The hawk princess then slapped herself mentally, recalling the strange material that had been tied around her mouth. Noticing her struggle, Epona told her, **"I hope you are not angry at Link for tying your beak down, little hawk…when you came to live with him, he was forced to tie you down for fear of losing his fingers." **Zelda blinked a bit, before she looked up at the young man that held her down, Link. She began to feel a little ashamed for how she had behaved towards him, even if she couldn't control herself. Glancing back at Epona, the hawk princess made a sign with her uninjured wing, as if pointing to her beak, to which the mare nodded. ** "I agree…why don't you peck him to catch his attention, little hawk? He might understand that you want that rope off your beak…" **Zelda nodded at the horse, and gently, began to peck Link's hand. The young man's attention was caught almost instantly, and he stopped talking with his group of friends to look down at the small hawk on his hands.

"Hmm? Something wrong, Shannon?" he asked. To answer him, Zelda raised her beak up in the air, then made a sign with her wing. It took a while, but Link finally understood what the hawk princess wanted, and went to pull the rope off her beak.

"Wait!" the big man cried, both he and Ilia finally taking notice of what Link was doing. "Won't she bite you if ya take that off?"

"Come on, Fado!" Ilia told him, slapping the big man gently on the shoulder. "She's not even angry anymore, see? Shannon's probably realized by now that we aren't her enemies." As she said this, Link went ahead and took care of the rope that was tied around the hawk princess's beak. Once it was removed from her beak, Zelda shook her head, and opened her mouth, testing it.

"**There we go!" **Epona said, nodding her head a bit. **"Much better, I presume?" **

"**Yes…it is. Thank you, Epona…your kindness is much appreciated." **

"**You're welcome, little hawk…or I suppose I should call you Shannon now, right?" **Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but then, closed it, realizing that it wouldn't be a good idea to blurt out her true name, even to a horse. The hawk princess understood that by hiding her true self she could practically get others in trouble, but what choice did she have? She had no way of communicating with people, nor she had no way of leaving, either. _**But, I just cannot go around revealing myself…it would probably would do more harm than good…**_she thought, before she finally nodded.

"…**yes…Shannon will do." **_**For now, **_the hawk princess added mentally, nodding her head at Epona. She was about to tell her something else, when suddenly, she felt herself be lowered to the ground. Looking up, she watched as Link bent down to put her on the ground. At first, Zelda was mildly confused, but then, got the idea, and started to walk a bit, only to trip and fall face down. Before she could get up, she felt Link lift her up again, crying out,

"Whoa! Easy there!" Zelda gave him a silent thank you for helping her up, and tried to walk once more, only to trip and fall again, quickly getting up to start again. The group of humans and mare watched at the hawk's failed attempts to walk, with Fado scratching his head as he watched on.

"She's quite the clumsy one, wouldn't you agree?" he asked Link.

"Well, if you had only been flapping your wings madly for two whole weeks without using your legs, you'll be pretty clumsy, too, you know?" the young man pointed out, helping Zelda up again, after she fell for what appeared to be the tenth time.

"Poor thing," Ilia said, shaking her head. "she still must be weak, then." She went over towards the clumsy hawk, and picked her up. Zelda scowled in Ilia's arms, with Epona being the only one able to tell, and letting out neighs that were giggles.

"**Nice try." **Epona joshed.

"**I sincerely didn't believe walking again would be this difficult!" **Zelda cried, or more like squeaked, in annoyance. Ilia patted the young hawk's head, looking back at Link.

"She must be upset, Link," she told him. "What about if I give her a bath on the spring? I assume you'll be busy here in the ranch…I'll return her back, I promise, after all it's not like I can keep her. You know Daddy…" Ilia told him, to which Link was quick to nod.

"That might not be a bad idea, Ilia…she probably might feel better after a bath in the Ordon Spring." The young woman gave her friend a nod, before she began to walk away. Epona bid her farewell, watching on as Ilia and her new friend left, with Zelda wondering whatever would the future hold.

* * *

_She is sure is one weird animal,_ Link thought, as he changed his clothes, watching from the corner of his eye, as Shannon turned away from him, as if giving him privacy. Four days ago, the hawk wouldn't have given it a second thought to be polite, and would have tried to grab Link as he was changing, or cry out in annoyance if he tried to change her bandages. _She must have been domesticated, somehow…_he went on, not really understanding why the small hawk would turn her head away as he was changing clothes, and even nod her head as if saying thank you when he gave her, her food. It was as if the hawk had made a complete transformation right before everyone's eyes, even the Ordon kids were happy to come and visit the hawk regularly, and she let them pat her, never complaining about it at all. Even Rusl appeared rather surprised by this unexpected change when he came to visit the bird, but, then both he and Link had assumed that she had been like this before she had been injured.

"Makes you wonder how she got injured, though," Rusl had said to him one particular evening, as the kids and Ilia took Shannon to the spring. "Shannon's too calm of an animal to start a fight…it probably had to be the work of those monsters roaming the woods…"

"I wouldn't be too sure…" Link had told him, fixing a worried gaze into the sky. "She practically came crashing from the sky…she must have come from far away…" Link still pondered, though, as he finished changing and moved to get Shannon something to eat.

Where had this hawk come from, anyway? Hawks weren't rare within the Ordon Woods, but still, it made Link wonder. Shannon had been flying when he had found her. From what Link could gather, the hawk had been flying the opposite side of Ordon, coming from Faron, but Link knew those woods well, since his visits to them to cut some trees for wood, that hawks rarely appeared in the Faron area, unless they were called with Hawk Grass. He continued to wondered about this mysterious hawk, as he served her some berries in a small bowl, moving towards the hawk's makeshift bed. Noticing him, Shannon looked up at him, and nodded once the young man set the bowl down. She didn't waste any time to eat, doing it slowly and patiently, something that Link found very amusing. Her kind were always eating at a fast pace, as if expecting their catch to suddenly grow legs and run off. As he watched her, Link couldn't help but realize that the hawk was feeling even better than she had been in years.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Zelda balanced dangerously on Link's clothe covered arm, squeaking a bit when her claws slipped off the arm. Luckily for her, Link had quickly come to the rescue and had helped her balance herself on his arm.

It had been almost a month since the princess had come to live in this village in her hawk form, and yet, no matter how much she tried, Zelda still found it hard to stand, and even much more difficult to even fly. She also wondered how she had managed to come here at all after she escaped capture back in the castle. The hawk princess, though, was lucky to have friends backing her up, even if they didn't know who she really was, but Zelda couldn't have asked for better friends. Even some of the local animals had come to like her, despite the fact that she rarely saw them, unless the local cat came stealing fish from Link. Being an animal had surely taken its toll on Zelda, but she was getting used to it, no doubt the work of the Triforce of Wisdom she carried within her being.

Both Zelda and Link, well, mainly Link, were making their way towards the Ordon Ranch, accompanied close by Epona, who appeared to be pretty bored, but hid some amusement as she watched Zelda balance on Link's arm. She had giggled once or twice, and when she caught the hawk princess looking at her, the mare only said,

"**Your kind is just too funny…" **Zelda forgave her, then, unable to hide a smirk of her own, as she looked at the large farm that stood not too far away from them.

Epona had told her many stories about Link and the ranch, mainly that the mare had grown up inside the ranch, and had been raised by Link ever since. Link himself also worked in the ranch, working primarily as Ordon Ranch's second goat herder, or only goat herder, as the owner of the ranch, Fado, was rather incompetent when keeping goats in the ranch. They always kept running away. Link, however, had no problem in keeping the goats inside the ranch, but that was because the goats would always say that he smelled of nuts and leaves, and had a pure spirit. Epona, too, had said that Link had a way with animals, but even she didn't know if it either was his kind spirit or something entirely different.

"Well, here we are…" Link murmured, making Zelda turn away from her thoughts, to look at the small piece of land with wondering goats before her.

Ordon Ranch was a small ranch, that was overlooked by a large valley of mountains. Grass decorated many of its floor, and a few wild flowers made their way as the goats dinner. A large barn lay right in the front of the herd of goats, which was ignored by the animals, just as much as the fences that lay all around the area, except for the rocky parts, as the goats themselves couldn't climb up the rocks and escape. The ranch itself wasn't as well-known as the famous Lon Lon Ranch that stood hidden in the outskirts of Hyrule Field, but it still the sight of it was incredible. Zelda herself, hadn't seen any ranches since the duty of a ruler always stood before, but now that she saw one, she couldn't help but take in all this wild beauty that lay before her. Her concentration was broken, however, when Link suddenly put her down on the floor. Zelda was rather a bit surprised, but managed to hold herself up, and slowly pace around, getting the feeling of walking back again. "Well, it's good to see you up in your two feet, eh, Shannon?" Link asked her, smiling. Zelda nodded back at Link, to which, he surprisingly, returned, before he dragged Epona with him to work. The hawk princess watched them go, and then, gave a small sigh of content.

Out of all the people and animals that Zelda had met days ago, Link was probably the only one that had really caught her eyes. He was kind, honest, brave, and even a bit tad handsome. Lately, whenever Link approached her or patted her head, the hawk princess would get warm all of the sudden, and sometimes, become a little shy. She would always wondered why she felt like this all the time, but she never knew why. The hawk princess began to pace around again, this time, her thoughts went towards her home. _**…I wonder…how are my people faring? I hope…nothing has happened…**_Zelda looked at the sky. _**Do they believe their leader dead? Is my castle destroyed? **_she asked mentally, receiving no answer from the light breeze that blew nearby. Zelda gave an inaudible sigh, as she glanced towards Link, who along with Epona, was herding the goats back into the barn. Turning away from Link, the hawk princess looked down at herself, and then, extended her wings to the heavens. Oh, when would she return to normal? When would this nightmare end? Or…had it just begun? Zelda could only beg to the heavens and hoped that everything would be alright…despite the fact that somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew otherwise.


	4. Chapter 4

Fyras14: Hello! Again! This is a rather early update, by my standards (its about 6 am were I live right now) and well, the good news is, that this chapter did change...a little...you will not see that big of a changes until next chapter, but the bad news is that next chapter will not be coming on Monday, or at least on time. For the time being, do enjoy this chapter, and leave behind a review.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

_

* * *

Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like._

**-Lemony Snicket**

**-Chapter Three-**

**-Unwanted Fate-**

Link stifled a yawn as he paced around the small kitchen of his tree house. The small hawk watched him from her makeshift bed, wondering whatever was causing the young man to suddenly move around the room for no given reason. For Link's part, however, his pacing had a good reason to be taking place.

_Okay, then…_Link thought, as he glanced at Shannon, before he looked towards the door. _First, I need to feed Epona…her food is easier to find than what Shannon eats…also…Rusl has told me to feed her meat, as she won't be able to live off of berries for much too long…I could probably get some fish for her…that is, if that cat of Sera's doesn't catch it f—_

"Link! You there?" The young man stopped his pacing altogether and quickly looked back at his closed door, before he marched up to it. Shannon, too, had her eyes on the door, as Link went to open it.

Once he opened the door, Link spotted the village swordsman sitting upon the ledge of the wooden platform that held the tree house where it was. "Hey, Rusl," Link greeted him, to which the swordsman answered with a small wave, and with a gesture for the young man to come closer. Rusl was looking up at the sky, who Link noticed, was already reaching darkness.

"Tell me, Link," Rusl began, not bothering to turn around and face the other man. "…do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?"

"Huh?"

"They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs…the only time we can feel the lingering regrets of the spirits who have left our world. That is why…loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight…" Both men stood silent for a while, watching the sun sinking deep within the mountains, allowing the darker sky to take over the light. "But…enough talk about sadness…" Rusl said, turning to face Link with a grin on his face. "I came here to ask a favor, Link…if you want to do it that is."

"You know you can ask me anything, Rusl, we are friends after all." Link told him, smiling at the man, as he got up from the ledge.

"Well, that's good to hear, Link….you see, I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow…but, unfortunately, something came up."

"The royal family? Whoa…most be pretty important business…"

"You could say…Mayor Bo asked me to send a special sword I crafted some time back as a gift to the princess, I was going to do the delivery, but, like I said before…something came up."

"But…are you sure you want me to go, Rusl?…I haven't exactly been to Hyrule before…and well, you are usually the one to come and go…" Rusl patted the young man's shoulder, and smiled.

"It isn't too hard to miss, though…Hyrule isn't too far away, anyway just a couple of days by horse it's all it takes to get there, or maybe sooner if you get there faster…"

"I suppose so…I just need to follow the large castle in the distance, eh?"

"Yep. Mayor Bo already knows about this, so you can have a few days to yourself traveling…that is, if you want to go." Link was quick to nod in agreement.

"Of course I'll go, Rusl! Besides, I'm sure Epona would enjoy a few days off of work, as I would." Rusl grinned, and nodded.

"Thanks, Link, I knew I could count on you…well, I won't take more time away from you…although, I was wondering…how is little Shannon doing?" Link glanced a bit back at his home, before looking back at the swordsman.

"She's alright…still needs some time to recover, but still, she's alright. One curious lady, too. Her wing is also improving, she can flap her wings without flinching…much." Rusl gave him an understanding nod.

"That's good to hear…I suppose, at least, she's recovering…and, are you planning to take the little hawk on your trip to the castle?" he asked him. "You can't possibly leave her by herself in there, you know…" Link frowned a bit. Rusl was right. He couldn't possibly leave Shannon to fend by herself, not that he doubted the hawk's survival skills, but they didn't exactly work for a hawk that could neither hunt nor fly on her own. He knew Ilia would be glad to take care of her, but the Mayor wasn't seeing eye to eye with that little hawk around just yet, even if Shannon was behaving. Rusl and his family, especially Uli, will be bothered just to take care of her. Even the other families living in Ordon came to mind, but Link quickly shot that idea, knowing very well that the other people in this village had too many things in their hands to take care of injured animals. Fado, too, was an option, but the poor man could hardly take care of animals bigger than him, so why bother? _Maybe I should just take her with me…_

"…I might just have to take her with me, then…she might get along with some air and the extra space…" Rusl nodded at him. With one last pat on Link's shoulder, the swordsman quickly jumped off the ledge, and landed gracefully on the ground below, never flinching.

"Well, I will be seeing you tomorrow…I would suggest you finish herding the goats before you go…you know how Fado is around drowsy animals," Link rolled his eyes, and grinned. "then, after you are done come to my house, I will give you the sword and see you off…" The young man nodded back at the older man, and waved down at him.

"Okay, then! See you tomorrow, Rusl!"

"Good-night, Link!" And he was off, leaving behind the tree house. Once Rusl was out of sight, Link moved towards his house, and looked back at Shannon, who stared back at him, as if wanting to know what all that was about.

"Hey, guess what, Shannon?" Link asked casually, as if expecting her to answer. The hawk merely blinked, as she watched Link moved towards a small pot on the table nearby. "We will be going on a journey tomorrow…you, me, and Epona." Looking around, Link found a small bowl, and began to fill it with some leftover soup that remained inside the pot. Once he finished filling the bowl with soup, Link went over to where Shannon lay, and put the bowl next to her, but the hawk wasn't quick to dig into the food that lay before her. Link didn't notice this, as he went over to get a bowl for himself. "We'll be going to Hyrule…" Link went on, as he filled his bowl with some soup as well. "Rusl asked me to deliver something to the royal family…a sword…although, if one were to ask me…I do wonder why the princess would need a sword for…"

As Link continued to talk about the trip to Hyrule, he didn't notice as the small hawk suddenly turned away from the food, her head facing the wall, eyes held shut, her emotions unreadable.

* * *

Zelda gave a loud sigh, as she slowly shook her head. The small hawk princess was home alone, and she was glad for the loneliness, for once, as it gave her time to think, well, think more than was naturally possible. She no longer thought about how her people were doing, but of this small village and its inhabitants, especially Link. He was set to go to Castle Town tomorrow and deliver a sword to the princess of Hyrule, who ironically was sitting on a makeshift bed on his tree house. _**I have to warn Link…somehow…**_Zelda thought, as she went about her options. She could tell Epona about the situation, but, who knows if the horse would believe her, and if the mare did, how was she going to tell Link? Faking an injury? Get him lost in Hyrule Field? _**No…**_the hawk princess went on. _**That wouldn't do…perhaps…perhaps if I…were to get that sword, first…and hide it, or something…**_

_And how exactly are you going to get that sword with your still, unhealed injuries, princess?_asked another voice deep within Zelda's mind. _You are still injured, and can hardly fly. _The hawk princess sighed, and thanked her logical part before sighing again. She wouldn't be able to even reach the sword with this injuries, if Epona couldn't make him stay, neither could her, and if someone else delivered the sword, just in case Link were to not go and deliver it himself, it was just as bad. Worries seemed to plague most of her mind, and today was no exception.

Little Talo had been kidnapped after a small training session with Link just a couple of hours ago. He had almost been killed had not Link come to save him. What troubled her more, however, was the fact that Link had told her or rather Bo and Rusl, who were visiting at that time, about how the forest was infested with monsters. The swordsman had also put up his own complaints as well, saying that the Faron Woods nearby had never been crowded with monsters before, and this was troublesome. Knowing this made Zelda think back on her defeat in the castle, and then, with a heavy heart, concluded that the appearance of those monsters was because she had failed to protect her people, and because of it, an evil had been unleashed among her land and the small village of Ordon, all because she had lost, and later to add more wood to the fire, turned into a beast, who had abandoned her people in their time of need.

_**..I'm a failure as a ruler…**_the hawk princess thought, head held low, almost sitting on top of the small bowl that Link had so kindly filled with water. _**I have failed my people…this kind villagers…the children…Ilia…and…and Link…I have unleashed the worst upon them…just…just because I was weak…**_Zelda raised her head up, and then, covered her shaming face with her good wing, muttering to no one in particular, **"Oh…whatever shall I do?" **

"**About what?" **came another voice, surprising the hawk princess, who quickly took away the wing from her face, for her to see a small white and black furred cat on the doorstep, looking up at her with its head cocked to its side. **"Is something wrong, Shannon?" **the cat went to ask again, this time, a little worry escaped his voice. Zelda was quick to collect her thoughts, and shook her head.

"**Oh…it is nothing, really…I-I'm just a bit tad frustrated because my wings kind of hurt…that's all…" **she said, feeling guilty with every single lie she threw at the small furry animal, who had become her friend over the past few days.

"**They must really hurt, then…" **the cat nodded, walking closer to her. **"I don't have wings, so I wouldn't know…although, if they hurt as much as a broken paw, then they must hurt a lot!" **

"**My wings don't hurt that much, now, though…so, anyway…not to be rude or anything, Cato, but, what are you doing here?" **The cat, Cato, looked back at Zelda and meowed, although to her ears, it was more of a small giggle.

"**I was looking around for Link, really…checking to see if he had any more fish," **Cato admitted, meowing a bit more, as the hawk princess shook her head in a amusement at the cat's sincerity. She had heard everything about the shopkeeper's cat, Cato. According to Link, the cat had stolen the two fishes that Link had caught for them both to cook for dinner. Thanks to Cato, Link and Zelda had been forced to eat berries, not that the princess minded much, though. Although for Link, that was another story. **"…but, there's no fish, right?" **

"**I'm afraid not…sorry…" **Zelda told him, shaking her head even more, but sounding amused. Cato, nodding back at the hawk princess, quickly made his way out of the house.

Once alone, Zelda began to think back on how she would stop Link from going to Castle Town, even if that meant to start acting like a wild beast again. She had to stop him, she had to find a way to convince him to not go there. He could get in trouble, and it would have been her fault. Ah, if only she could contact the spirit of Ordona, the light spirit that was said to reside upon the Ordon Spring, where she would be taken for baths and for healing. No matter how much Zelda begged him to show up, the spirit would never try to make contact. At first, she had found this odd, but, then, she assumed something was wrong with the great spirit, or it was the fact that the children, Ilia, and Link were around when she wanted to summon the spirit. She only hope she didn't run out of time…

* * *

Link ran past some villagers, who were rather confused by how the young man ignored their greetings. Link really didn't mean to ignore them, but if they only knew the real reason for his cold shoulder, they would have probably understood his lack of greetings.

Right after finishing up in the ranch, Link and Epona had passed by Mayor Bo's home to say good-bye to Ilia and her father. What had started as a 'Be careful on your way' conversation had ended badly after Ilia had spotted the huge cut upon the mare, and she had accused the young rancher of pushing Epona too hard. And now, Ilia had literally kidnapped his horse, all because of a small, non-lethal cut on its leg, that she got while helping Link save little Talo from the monsters that had kidnapped him a day earlier.

If only that boy had not ran after that annoying little monkey, perhaps he wouldn't have needed rescuing, and Epona wouldn't had been hurt, and the girl wouldn't be angry at him. _Why does she always make a big fuss about this things! Epona's stronger than that! That cut was nothing…but, still…why does she make a big fuss about this! _the young man thought, as he ran past some other villagers, before he reached his house. A small voice coming from somewhere nearby caught him by surprise, and Link quickly turned around to meet a young boy with blonde hair, sitting nearby.

"Link?" the young boy asked, getting up from the ground.

"Colin!"

Colin, Rusl's only child, as of now that was, stood watching him with some hidden concern in his eyes. He was a short boy, known around the village, and frequently teased by the other kids, because of his meek nature. Despite the fact that Colin wasn't brave incarnate, he had been one of the few, after Link and Ilia, to pat Shannon after she had healed, and bring her food from time to time when the other children wouldn't bother. He was a nice kid, Link had decided one day, and had always thought of Colin as some sort of adoptive little brother, one who he would always help whenever the chance presented itself.

"Hi, Link…" Colin said, hands behind his back.

"Hey, Colin…have you seen Ilia round here?" Link asked him, to which the young boy gave him a small nod, and pointed a finger towards the direction of the spring.

"Yes…she went to the spring with Epona…although," Colin stopped, trying to pick the right words to use. "she seemed…a little upset about something…she kept muttering something about you and Epona…" Link grinned nervously, remembering the harsh talking to Ilia had given him and her father, before leaving with Epona towards the spring.

"She's actually angry at me…" the young rancher confessed, scratching the back of his head.

"Why?"

"Remember about how Talo was kidnapped, yesterday?" Colin nodded. "And do you remember how I had to take Epona with me to find him?" Another nod was his answer. "Well…it appears that Epona got herself a scratch on herself…and I didn't notice it…so…" he trailed off.

"She thought you hurt Epona, right?" the boy finished, to which Link nodded.

"Yeah…you think you can give me a hand, Colin? Try to tell her that it was just an accident?" Colin nodded, smiling shyly at him.

"Sure! Anything for you Link!" Link grinned at him, and watch the boy go, with the young boy crying out, "I'll go ahead and try to convince her!" The young rancher watched him go, until he disappeared into the road, he was about to run towards the path leading to the spring, before a shut stopped him short.

"NO!" came Ilia's cry, making Link flinched a bit, before he ran towards the spring. Upon reaching it, he faced another dilemma. The gates leading to the spring were held shut, the few openings on the wood gate showed Colin and Ilia, who was holding unto Epona's reins inside the spring.

Ilia spotted Link first, and glared at him from her place on the spring. "If you came to take Epona back, then you can FORGET IT!" she yelled, her glare growing deeper. "Why don't you think about you've done for a change! I won't be opening that gate until you change that attitude of yours!"

"But, Ilia…!" Link cried, but Ilia cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it!" Ilia scolded, pulling Epona deeper into the spring. Colin, seeing the exchange between the two of them, only shook his head, before he went towards the gate, and whispered back to Link,

"Why don't you go through that small hole nearby, Link?" he asked him. "I'll tell her about what happened with Talo and that monkey…maybe that will change her mind…" Link nodded, and watched as Colin quickly moved towards where Ilia and Epona stood, and started a conversation. The rancher was quick to take off towards the small hole that Colin had mentioned to him, finding himself in a tight fit, but still be able to crawl within it. Water splashed against his clothes, once he came closer to the spring, and before long, the young man had reached the end of the hole, facing the waters of the spring, hoping that Colin had managed to convince Ilia about what had really happened to Epona, and that it wasn't Link's fault. Getting out with little difficulty out of the small hole, and saw Colin and Ilia. The girl's face had completely changed, anger no longer was present on her features.

"I had no idea…" Ilia murmured. "I hadn't heard the complete details about Talo's capture…but, still, Colin…huh?" Turning around, Ilia quickly spotted Link nearby, with Colin following Ilia's gaze, a smile on his face, his job done. Epona, upon seeing her master nearby, began to walk towards him, happy to see him, despite Ilia still holding unto her reins. The young lady looked at Epona, before a sigh escaped her lips. "…so, you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" she asked the horse, patting the mare's head. The young rancher smiled sadly at the scene before him. "You two can now go to Hyrule, together…" Ilia whispered to Epona, who only whined and nodded her head as if in agreement. The young woman looked back at Link and smiled. "She's already to go, it seems…her injury wasn't that much of a deal…but, I guess I overreacted…sorry."

"It's okay, Ilia…I probably deserve it."

"True," Ilia said after a while, nodding sagely back at Link. Colin grinned back at the two of them, but said nothing. "…Hey, Link…"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful on your journey…and promise me this….no matter what happens on the way…don't try to do anything out of your league…please. Just come back safely." Link gave the young lady before him a smile.

"Don't you go worrying about me, Ilia," the rancher told her, grinning back at her. "You know I'm not that reckless!" Ilia only laughed, and shook her head.

"Knowing you, that's probably the worst thing you have said for a while!" Link gave her a mock frown, as the young lady went over to give Epona's reins to the young rancher.

**THUD! THUD!** The three Ordonians froze in their place, as the sudden noise caught their ears. Colin edge closer to Link and Ilia, as the noise became even louder. **THUD! THUD! THUD! **"Wh-what is that!" the young boy cried, shaking all over. No one said anything as the noise grew louder and louder…and then—

The gate that had been closed before them, burst opened, soon to lie in pieces upon the calm waters of the spring. Link and his companions were speechless as the creatures on top of huge boars, barged into the spring, all wielding clubs and swords. Link was the first of the group to react, and quickly pushed Ilia and Colin out of the way, crying out, "RUN! RUN!" Both young lady and boy moved as far as they could, before the creatures could reach them. They were unsuccessful, however, as Colin tripped with his own feet, and was caught by one of the beasts by the arm. The young rancher moved to save him, but a loud scream caught his attention, and he turned to see just in time how Ilia fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of her back. Link barely managed a gasp, before he broke into a run, or tried to, but was stopped short when something hard hit him on the head, and then, everything turned dark.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Small little talons inspected the wooden platform below them, as Zelda took her time to look around the place. Colin had come by just a few minutes prior, offering food and an opened door for her to escape the rather empty home of her caretaker's. This was one of the few times that Zelda would explore the outside world without the aid of Link, facing the sky and wondering if she was ready to fly.

Being something you were not physically wasn't easy business, as Zelda had found out the days she spent in Ordon recovering. She knew she wasn't being very helpful just sitting around, but she also knew that flapping her wings with no goal in mind wouldn't get her nowhere, either. The hawk princess had tried to fly a few times before, when her wings weren't hurting like there was no tomorrow, but she had only managed to hover in the air once or twice, before falling down, failing miserably.

When Link was around, the young rancher was always behind her, encouraging her, as would the kids and Ilia, as they observed her, taking time off their tasks just to watch the struggling hawk. Rusl, too, would come and stay to watch her attempts at flight, but, to Zelda's clever mind, it would appear that he had been rather confused by her performance and her clumsiness when she hovered or tried to. Perhaps he suspected that this hawk couldn't fly at all, and that suspicion of his was probably right. The princess of Hyrule couldn't fly, that much was true, but unfortunately for Zelda, she wasn't exactly a princess right now.

But, everything else aside, Zelda's real reason for trying so hard to fly was to return back to her kingdom to see what had become of it. She wanted to know if the castle was as it should be, if there were monsters lurking about, if anyone had died…if something else had happened. While Zelda longed to see to her people's needs back at the conquered Hyrule Castle, at the same time she didn't want to leave the safety that the small village of Ordon had offered to her this past few days. Sometimes, deep within her heart, Zelda felt that her duty wasn't worth leaving Link and the other villagers behind. The young blonde rancher had been her savior after all, and she just couldn't leave him without at least saying a proper 'Thank you', but, as the case may be, she couldn't even mutter her own name under the squeaks and chirps that had become her new tongue. But, even if she wanted to thank Link, what about her people? Didn't they count, too? Ah, but her duties always came before her heart, and so, with a deep sigh, Zelda decided that the thanks would have to wait, as she exercised her wings a little more…or she would have had not the screaming began.

"EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"MO-MO-MONSTERS! RUN! EVERYONE! RU-AGGGHHHHH!"

It was the sudden alarm and screams of the villagers far away that made Zelda suddenly begin to look around. Watching as strange little green man with rags as clothes, wielding steel and sharp sticks upon monstrous boars, created havoc among the peaceful land that was Ordon. _**Bulblins! **_Zelda thought darkly, as they moved along with their steeds deeper into the village, destroying whatever they could destroy.

The princess knew a lot about Bulblins, evil creatures that would cause havoc on foolish travelers at night, day, or morning. She had heard many stories about this monsters once in a while at the castle, and complaints from merchants, and nobles alike had filled her ears most of the time, asking her, rather demanding, what she was going to do about it. But, those times they had never entered a village like this, and so, Zelda forced herself to ask, _**What are you going to do now? **_

Zelda didn't wait for her other side of the head to answer, as she flapped her wings, forcing herself to fly. The screams got even louder as she flapped her wings, once, twice, thrice! She hadn't even left the wooden platform, and her will to fly was leaving behind her, and then she heard them. Screams. Smaller vibrations than the last ones, screams of little ones…screams of children. No…not the children! Not them! No, they were just children! They deserved nothing of this horror that had suddenly taken over the village, they deserved none, and so, Zelda forced herself to fly once more.

The flapping became harder, and then, she felt her talons leaving the wooden platform, as the wind caught her like a fragile leaf that had the misfortune of being caught by its great current, and like the leaf, Zelda soon found herself hovering in the air. Despite her slight hints of surprise, Zelda didn't waste any time as she flew towards the village below her, speed the highest she could muster.

The princess of Hyrule was entering the battlefield, and this time around, she had more than herself to protect.

**

* * *

**

Link groaned as he got up, wondering what had just happened to give him a huge headache. He began to look around with lazy eyes, his vision a little blurry, with his headache just making things worse. Link rubbed his head, as he finally realized where he was. He was in the Ordon Spring, now that would explain why he was wet…but why? Then, he saw it. The small puddle of blood that mixed well with the clear spring water. Link froze as he recalled what had happened earlier. He shook, and then let out a cry.

"COLIN! ILLLLIIIIAAAAA!" Link lost all sense of reason as he bolted towards the direction from where the monsters had come from. For a single moment, he didn't care if he was suddenly ambushed, he didn't even care if Epona was missing, the only thing he cared about was to find his two friends. Were they even alive? Were they alright? Were they—"WHOA!" Link suddenly stopped in his tracks. What had made him stopped in his mad dash to save his friends was nothing but a mere black wall, one that led straight to the Faron Woods. The goat herder froze a little, but, taking a deep breath proceeded to touch it, wondering if he could cross it. He could feel the black wall with strange marking suddenly freeze against his touch…then, something terrifying happened. Out of the black wall, a huge arm appeared; it grabbed Link before he could react, and dragged him to the darkness.

Link was thrown to the ground then, but everything was different. Solemn and darker, somehow. Poor Link didn't have time to inspect his surroundings, before he felt a great pain enter his body. He grunted and turned, and then, led out a shriek of pain. Fur ripped through his skin like nothing, his face changed shape, feet were smaller…then, he fell to the ground. As the darkness took over his sight, he could see a strange creature coming up to him, slowly, before nothing remained.


	5. Chapter 5

Fyras14: Sorry for the long delay...there were a few things I had to go around to fix in this chapter...but, I must warn you guys, next chapters might not come on Monday, but I will keep the update on Monday thing, in case I do get the next chapter on time...believe me...correcting a 35 page chapter gets a little difficult once in a while...but, I do hope you enjoy this chapter and do leave a review!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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* * *

"We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves."_

**-Gerald Hausman**

**-Chapter Four-**

**-The Wolf, the Imp, and a Hawk-**

A strange sense of pain circled Link as he opened his eyes, wondering just why he was so sore all over. Sure, his job sometimes kept him in bed for a couple of days, but still, this pain that he felt right now was strange. It barely lasted, but he still felt the same.

Shaking his head, the young goat herder got up from what he could assumed was a bricked floor; somehow, he felt different, strange even. Something about himself was completely off, yet that didn't let him deter him as he examined his surroundings. Link gave out a weak gasp as he soon realized he was no longer in the Ordon Spring, or any forest whatsoever. He was in a dark, and small cell, and not only that, he was chained?

_Just what the he…_before Link could go on with his thoughts, they suddenly came to an abrupt end when he took a look at his hands, or what once used to be his hands. _Paws! Where the hell did I get…and this fur! What the hell is going on!_ Link looked at himself frantically, finding even more changes; fur, paws, large ears, sharp teeth, a black nose. _What…what happened to me? _he thought, as he examined his reflection on a nearby puddle that had formed by the drops of water coming from the ceiling, and found out he was no longer that young man from Ordon, but a simple wolf. He wasn't a man, but an animal, a beast of green fur and sharp teeth. _But…but how! _The hero cried out mentally, as he tried to pry the small chain around one of his paws with his teeth, before he suddenly looked up. _Oh goddesses, no! Ilia…Colin! Whatever happened to them! Did…did those creatures do something to them! I…I…I gotta get out of here, fast! _Not caring about hurting his new canine teeth, Link began to bite off the chains; one pull here, a bite over there, but nothing appeared to even scratch the hard metal. Despite the failures, however, Link didn't stop. He just had to get out of here!

"Hehehe…not very bright, are you…?" A voice called out, breaking Link out of his concentration and chain biting. The man clad in wolf's skin looked around, trying to find the intruder that had invaded his cell. It didn't take long, however, for the intruder to make itself known, as from out of the shadows, a strange creature appeared, surprising Link even more. Whatever this creature was, it was quite an unusual thing; the intruder was some sort of imp, not like the ones Link encountered in the woods while out hunting, wearing a strange helmet that covered her head and right eye, with long orange hair tied on a ponytail behind its back. As he stood there watching the stranger, the little imp grinned maliciously at the wolf, before she jumped in the air, and landed right in front of Link, facing the bars of his cell. "I finally found you!" it cried, the voice indicating that it belonged to a young woman, now that Link listened well.

"**Who are you?" **the wolf asked her through barks, causing the little imp to chuckle, at what it would appear his attempts to sound scary.

"Ooh!" the imp mocked, folding her two small arms over her chest. "Aren't you scary!" Link, for his part, barked again. "Ee hee! Are you sure you want to be doing that? Barking and glaring at me?" she asked. Link only blinked, finally realizing that the little imp understood nothing of what he had said. That didn't stop him from barking all the same.

"**Who are you!" **the wolf repeated, his ears twitching back slightly.

"Oh, if you are going to keep doing that, well," the imp began, cocking her head. "I was _going_ to help you get out of here if you were nice…" The effect of those words were almost instantaneous, Link stopped his growling and glaring, and stared back at the strange creature, hope barely visible upon his blue eyes. The imp grinned, seemingly amused by his change of behavior. "Eee Hee! Much better! You humans are sure obedient to a fault, aren't you?" Walking a little closer to Link, the small imp hit him on his new mouth, causing it to go up from the force. Link managed a small whine before the strange creature replied, "Oops! But you aren't human, are you? You're a beast!" At that moment, having had enough of the imp's hitting, Link tried to bite her, but the imp was faster, and with great skill jumped out of the way.

"**Stop that!" **Link barked, angrily.

"There, there," the little imp cooed. "No need to get rough and start biting heads off!" Before Link could bark at her once more, the imp put her hands together, and in the matter of seconds, formed a small ball of black and orange energy. She let the ball go, catching Link by surprised as said ball hit the chains on his paw, releasing him. The creature only managed a laugh at the wolf's reaction, before getting closer to him and surprising him even more. "You look kind of surprised! Eee hee hee!"

"**Well, yeah…!" **Link began, only to stop when he realized that the imp wouldn't understand him. The imp, however, had soon lost interest in him and was floating in midair, she moved closer to the bars, and with a simple spin, was out of the cell that imprisoned the wolf.

"So! I bet you're wondering where we are, right?" Link shrugged. "Well, since you have been such a good boy for the last five minutes, I'll tell you!" Suddenly, the little imp stopped talking, but continued after giving Link a toothy grin. "You, my little beastly friend are in Hyrule Castle!"

"**WHAT!" **Link cried out, surprised. _**But…but, how! How in the world did I get here! It couldn't have been those creatures…could it? …but…if they were…why did they bring me to the castle…? **_As this thoughts circled his head, the little imp talked once more.

"Of course, beasts like you, coming to visit the castle this time of year, well, let's just say you're not exactly welcomed!" She gave the confused wolf a small grin, that was soon replaced with a frown, as she turned to look away. "Sure…with your land's new ruler, anything is possible…" The last comment managed to get Link's attention, and he stood there, mouth opened.

"**New…new ruler?" **he whimpered, wondering what she meant. According to Rusl, the ruler of Hyrule was a young woman, close to his age. The princess, by the name of Zelda, was wise beyond her years and very much loved by her people…so…why would there suddenly be a ne—

"Wondering about your princess, eh, doggy?" the imp asked, making Link blink in bewilderment. "I wouldn't delve on the past too much…" The mocking tone on her voice was gone, replaced by a certain sadness…or were Link's ears not hearing right? "…she's dead. Been dead for a while, now." At those words, Link froze. The ruler of Hyrule…the fair princess….the one that he had to deliver the sword to…dead? But…but…how…? What in the world had happened! "She gave a good fight, or so I hear…yet, she lost…and now, she's dead," the imp went on, catching Link's attention once more."Now, he's your new king…but…" Confused at her last comment, the wolf barely noticed as the imp disappeared, and in seconds landed on his back.

"**What the!" **Link began to move around, attempting to get her off of his back, but the little imp held tightly to his fur, and giggled at his effort.

"Take it easy! You want my help or not!" Link stopped. " Good boy, pretty good listener, aren't you? But…listen here, since I'm helping you, you have to do something for me…" She grabbed Link's new ear, bringing him to attention.

"**HEY!" **

"My help will cost you, however," she explained, not letting go of Link's ear, even as he started growling. "If I help you get out of here, you have to do some…things for me…and maybe, if you do them, I just might help you find your missing friends!" The imp let go of Link's ear, as he looked back at her in surprise. How did she know about Ilia and Colin…? "Now, that's better! Shall we get going? We've wasted enough time as it is!"

Link had no chance to bark out a complain before he felt a strange energy surround his body. The wolf closed his eyes for only a moment, and then, when he opened them again, he stared at his new surroundings in shock. He was back in Ordon Spring! None of the darkness that was in that castle surrounded the area; it was exactly the same. Perhaps...he was back to normal too? Link looked down at himself, only to let loose a sigh.

Nope. He was still a beast. _**Damn…I thought that…**_

"Aww…is the little doggy sad? Sorry to break the sad news to you, but even if you have already left that darkened realm, you still haven't returned to normal! Hee!" Without warning, his shadow was pulled from beneath his feet, and out came the little imp. Her skin was a little darker in color, as if taking the shape of his shadow in some way, but still, that malicious grin was still there. "You thought you'll get rid of me that easily?" she asked, smiling. "Sorry doggy, but it isn't going to happen!...Oh! and about your condition, well, I wouldn't know how to fix you up, you know? I don't happen to be a doctor!" The imp laughed once more, seemingly amused by the wolf's predicament. Link only managed to growl in response. "Well, it's not like this is my fault, you know? In fact, I expected you to turn into a spirit as soon as you entered the Twilight…guess this caught us all by surprise! But, then again, this is so much fun!"

"**For you, maybe," **Link growled, but wondered what she meant about turning into a spirit. **"Anyway, what you meant about turning into a spirit?" **Instead of answering, the imp only shrugged.

"You do know I have no idea what you are saying, right?" she asked him, causing the wolf in question to shake his head.

"…**Great…just great…" **Link mumbled, getting a laugh from the strange imp.

"Well, I can clearly see the connection here!" she giggled at her own joke, but, her laughs soon died down and she was down to business. "Okay, listen…the only way you can get back there, into the twilight, is by the assistance of a Twili…one from the Twilight, like me. But, as I told you before…I need you to do…some things for me before I get you back into the Twilight Realm, okay?" Link managed a nod, not like he had much of a choice if he wanted some answers and to save Colin and Ilia. "Good doggy…now, I want you to get me a sword and a shield," Link only gave her a look, to which the imp answered, "Well, it's not like _you _can manage with them."

"**And why would **_**you**_** need them for?" **

"Still no idea what you are saying, but still, wondering will get you nowhere, doggy…so, anyway, you know where to find a sword and a shield? We can't go on if you don't get me those things."

Link thought for a moment. He remembered the sword he was supposed to present to the princess of Hyrule—correction, the deceased princess of Hyrule—was still in Rusl's house. _**He would never let me get in his house like this, **_Link thought, looking down at himself. _**Hmm…maybe I could find a way inside…but, if Uli sees me? Damn…this is very difficult...now…where could I get a shi—ah! Talo told me that Jaggle had crafted an Ordon Shield not too long ago for Rusl! Maybe I can use that one! **_

"Well, then…let's get going, doggy!"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It took him a while to get back to Ordon Village, and already it was getting dark. The blue-eyed beast wondered what had happened to the village; had it also been attacked by those beasts? As he was walking through the path that let back to his home, he was almost hit by a large club. **"What the…!" **

"Uh-oh! Trouble, doggy!" the imp called from his shadow, her mocking tone still present in her voice. Link only growled at the group of green man that had suddenly surrounded him, trying to find a way out of this mess. "Why don't you give them a bite or two, after all, you have big teeth!" Ignoring the snickers coming from his shadow, Link jumped at one of the green men, biting hard unto its arm. The green man yelled out in pain, as its arm broke in two, forcing the wolf off of him. Link spitted blood, before he tackled the beast, and bit it hard on its neck. Another of the strange creatures tried to club the wolf in the head, but instead clubbed its ally when Link moved out of the way, and in turn, tackled the second green man to the ground, before biting him in its throat. Agonizing cries came from the fallen creature, before it went limp, with its companion following after.

During the whole trip through the small forest path, Link was glad to not hear that mysterious imp's voice again, however, another voice caught his attention nearby. **"Hey! You!" **On pure instinct, the wolf turned and growled at the unknown creature, only to stop when he noticed the small squirrel hiding behind a tree. **"Thank you for getting rid of those monsters," **the squirrel squeaked. **"they just came and attacked the nearby village…" **

"**What!" **Link barked. The squirrel was little frightened by the wolf's reaction, but didn't show it.

"**I don't know exactly what happened, though," **the squirrel began, as it moved towards the path that led to Link's home. **"Most of us, forest animals, were quite scared…one of the tamed animals in the village, a hawk, was fighting those evil monsters…so, I suppose that hawk would know what is going on." **Link was mildly puzzled by this revelation.

"**A hawk?"**

"**Yes!" **it cried, as both animals made it towards the entrance of Ordon Village. Once inside the village itself, Link couldn't help but bark out a gasp, as he saw the state of the village before him. Some houses carried the reminiscence of being burned. The small bridges that were built near the small trail of water were destroyed beyond repair, and the men…the men carried torches and sticks, looking around wildly as if expecting something to happen.

Noticing the stare that Link was giving to the men, the squirrel explained, **"The villagers have been on their guard since their children were taken away."**

"**The children!" **the wolf asked in shock, unable to believe it. Not only Ilia and Colin were gone, but the other kids, too? …oh…no…

"…**Yes…grabbed by the monsters and taken away," **the squirrel said, looking at the scene in sadness. **"The hawk I told you about and, from what I could gather, a mare, tried fighting the monsters…but, they failed. The mare quickly left after them, and no one of us animals have seen her ever since…and that was almost a day ago…" **

_**A day…**_Link thought in shock, as he continued to stare at the small group of village men, all guarding Talo and Malo's house, which appeared to have survived a bit of the carnage. _**Couldn't even help them…for a day…damn it all…**_

"**The hawk is gone, too…looking for some goat herder," **the smaller animal continued, catching the attention of the larger wolf behind it. A hawk? Looking for a goat herder…? That couldn't be…? **"She has been asking about the human since yesterday…said that that human might help…" **It took a while for the wolf to make a connection, and when he did, he almost cried out in joy.

_**Shannon! **_Link thought, smirking a bit. _**She must think I must be somewhere around here! That's why she has been looking for me…for a whole day! **_**"So, where is that hawk, now?" **

"**I don't know…last time I saw her was, as I told you, yesterday…she must be deeper in the woods…looking for that goat herder…but…" **The squirrel trailed off, unsure of what it was about to say next, before it looked back at Link. **"If you are planning of going around the village, though, I would be careful around here…after the attack, the villagers have been quite jumpy, and well…" **It looked at Link up and down, before it turned to leave. **"Wolves won't receive a warm welcome!" **And before Link knew it, the squirrel ran off.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It had not been too difficult to get both sword and shield, despite the all the work it took Link to avoid getting caught. While Link felt bad about stealing the weapons, he knew that if he didn't do what the strange imp ordered him, the wolf wouldn't had a chance of finding either Ilia or the children.

As he went about gathering the weapons, Link had found help, surprisingly, among the animals in the village, all whom had recognized his scent, and easily identified him as Link; even a wild hawk had recognized Link right away. They all had given him valuable information on how to get the weapons, but that didn't meant he had not gotten help from overhearing the conversation of the nearby villagers. It was during this eavesdropping that he had seen Rusl in his new condition. The poor swordsman was covered in bandages, blood all over them, guarding the pregnant Uli from any further attacks if any monsters decided to come back, while his wife looked on worriedly, fearing for his safety. It took all of Link's willpower to not whimper at the scene, before he approached the older man's house, and stole the princess's gift.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

He was back at the Ordon Spring, the place where he had returned back to his village as a wolf by the strange imp, Midna, who was talking once more,

"Now, listen, little wolf, when we get to the Twilight, no sudden moves, okay? Let me take care of getting you inside the place, right?" she told him, as the wolf made his way towards the bridge that separated the Ordon and Faron Woods. He didn't get that far, as a strange voice stopped him.

_Wait…_it said, making Link look around, with Midna giving her own opinions about the interruption.

"Who's there?"

_Come…to…my spring, _the voice went on, completely ignoring the imp's demand. Link, for his part, decided best not to argue against the strange voice, and went as quickly as he could towards…the strange voice's spring? _You have…been…transformed by the power of shadows…_the voice noted, drawing Link's attention to the Ordon Spring's warm waters. _Come to me…_Link began to get a little hesitant at the demands, but wondered if this strange voice could help him with his small predicament. Unfortunately, when he touched the spring's waters, something else decided to make itself known.

From the heavens, strange pillars fell to the ground, striking hard into the water, and digging deep into the ground. They were dark in color, glowing with strange symbols that created a sort of invisible shield around Link. "Damn…" Midna cursed from within the wolf's shadow, as Link cried out,

"**What's this!" **Had that strange voice led him to a trap?

_Beware…_came that strange voice again. _…A shadow being…it approaches…_

"**What are you talking about!" **Link demanded. **"What shadow being?" **The voice didn't speak again, as a strange black hole appeared above Link, dropping a strange black creature down below, followed along by a trio of black pillars, that seemed to create a barrier around both of them.

The creature let out a loud screech, as Link examined its features. It was a strange being with large arms, wearing some sort of helmet, with long hair sticking out from the back, its body the darkest of black, with markings all over its body. If Link didn't know any better, he would have admitted that this creature and Midna were of the same species, but then, unlike Midna, this creature wanted to get rid of him…permanently. Letting out that strange screech again, the monster dashed towards Link, its large hands ready to cut him clean, but the wolf was faster, moving out of the way, letting his instincts take over. He jumped over the black creature, and bit down hard, holding unto its back with sharp teeth. It let out another screech, this one clouded in pain, as Link bit him repeatedly. Link continued biting the large creature, as it struggled to get the wolf off of itself, only to suddenly freeze, before it collapse to the ground. Link soon got off of the creature, and watched in astonishment, as the creature split into millions of tiny pieces, that were whisked back to the open hole up in the sky.

_**What…what just happened? **_Link mentally asked, as the strange pillars disappeared into pieces away from the spring. He found himself looking around the spring for any other danger, when suddenly a white light engulfed him and the spring whole.

The wolf stood back, as a large ball of light sprouted from the waters of the spring, and began to float in the air in front of him. It stayed there for a couple of seconds, before it soon began to take shape, causing Link to gape, for before him, no longer stood a ball of light, but rather an Ordon Goat engulfed in light, looking down at the small animal with those bright yellow eyes.

_O brave youth…_it said, making Link blink as a sudden realization hit him; it was this giant goat…he was the one that was calling him! _It is a pleasure to finally meet you, young one…I am one of the light spirits that guard this land of Hyrule…my name is Ordona…_it said, nodding its head at the still, gaping Link. _…the shadow being you defeated was here to steal the power of light I wield…_Ordona explained. _The entire kingdom has been turned into a netherworld ruled by the cursed power of darkness…_

"…**cursed powers of darkness?" **the wolf asked, almost in a whisper, barely noticing his shadow twitch slightly.

_Yes…_Ordona answered. _However, the blight will not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world of light will fall into the hands of the king that rules the Twilight. _

_**The king that rules the Twilight? **_Link thought, as he stared up at the spirit. This King of the Twilight was the cause of all this destruction, pain…the one that had killed the princess…the one that had caused the kidnapping of the Ordon children and Ilia…was he…that king?

_To save the land from the King of Twilight, the lost light must be recovered. _Ordona went on, causing Link to blink. He blinked once or twice, before realization hit him. Was this great spirit of light asking for his aid? Him, a mere goat herder? Yet, even as this passed through the wolf's head, Ordona took no notice. _The three spirits who have lost their light must be revived. There is but one that can revive them and free this land…_the huge spirit gave a small pause, as it and Link looked in each others' eyes. _…You…_

"**ME!"** Link cried out, jumping a bit as he did so. He could barely hear out a small chuckle coming from the great light beast.

_You have yet to discover your true power…those transformed by Twilight usually cannot recover their original forms…_the spirit explained to a shell-shocked Link. _Unless…if you were to return to Faron Woods…the place where you first transformed and revive the light spirit…there…by the power of the light spirit, you may find the means to return to your original state of being…_As soon as those words entered the wolf's ears, Link turned to look at himself, venturing to ask,

"**So…this isn't permanent?" **He gave a loud sigh, when he saw the large spirit shake its head.

_No…it is not…_it said, before nodding back at the smaller creature. _Have hope…brave youth…the spirit of light, Faron, will aid you…Farewell…_Link didn't even get a chance to speak before the large spirit disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. Still, Link stood there, wondering many things, before he decided that he wasn't going to get much answers by just standing there, and made his way to Faron Woods.

Crossing the bridge that led to the woods, Link stopped right in front of that strange black wall that had gotten him into this predicament in the first place. "Here we are!" Midna's voice cried out, sounding smug. "The Twilight is not too far away! Get ready!"

"**Ready for what?" **the wolf asked, not getting an answer at first. He was rather surprised, when a strange, huge orange hand dragged him into the black wall when he turned away for just a few seconds. Link gave a loud yelp of surprise before everything went fuzzy, before slamming straight into the ground.

Link shook his head, as he got up, and was rather surprised at what he saw. No longer did the woods looked green and alive, but rather grey and black, with them a certain tint of death that now, decorated the trees and ground; all in all, the new appearance of the woods almost made it look solemn somehow. Even Link felt like crying as he made his way slowly towards the spring, only for him to stop when he felt a strange weight on top of him.

Midna was on his back, sporting both sword and shield, the former as a weapon, and the latter as a sort of helmet. "Hmm! So these are the weapons you use in your world?" she asked, wielding the sword left to right, almost cutting off one of Link's ears in the process. "You really think this things can slay the creatures of the Twilight?" Her question was answered by a growl, before said creature received a shield on his own head. "Well, I sincerely can't use these, but don't worry, I'll hang on to them for you!" With a snap of her fingers, and before Link knew what was happening, the shield and sword disappeared into a spark of white and black light, hidden away into the shadows. "Alright, then! Let's begin!" Midna cried out, shaking the wolf out of his shock, before the imp went on again, "Remember, you promised to help me out and I help you out, okay, doggy?" Link only nodded.

_**Not like I got any choice…**_he thought. _**She's practically playing her cards well…**_

"I need you to gather a few things for me…in exchange, I will help you find your friends…can't really tell you the details right now, but you eventually will find out…but, they'll be easy to get, trust me…" Midna grew quiet for a while, before a smirk appeared on her face, causing Link to look around. He could barely make out the sounds of something…it sounded like an animal in great pain. "Do you hear that noise?" the imp asked, sounding a little amused. "Could it be the lamentation of the spirit that had its light stolen?" Link began to run, trying to reach the strange noise. It didn't take long for the two of them to notice the small light on the distance. "Aha! That must be the spirit that goat was talking about!" Midna cried out, as the wolf approached the spring.

What Link saw at the spring made him stop, abruptly; like everything around it, the spring too, was dark and solemn, but even more so than what little the wolf had seen of Faron Woods so far. In the middle of the spring, floating in the air by sheer force of will, or so it appeared, was a small ball made out of light…fain light, Link realized with a sick sensation.

…_please…_a voice gasped from a distance, sounding faint, barely reaching Link's canine ears. _…be careful…These woods…have changed…The dark clouds of dusk…cover this land…this drape of shadows…which is called the Twilight…_Link grimaced as he heard a faint cough from the spirit's voice. _In this twilight, those who lived in the light...become as mere spirits...it is a place...where the dark ones and evil creatures dwell...I...am a spirit...of light...Blue-eyed beast. Look...for my light... Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts…I beg of you…_it cried out.

"Hmm…retrieve its light, eh?" Midna spoke up, sounding a little amused. "Oh…but the Twilight is so wonderful! But, then again," she shot a compassionate look at what remained of the spirit. "…I guess if we help this spirit, it might turn you back to normal, huh? And not only you, but these whole place, too…hmm…"

"**Then we better hurry!" **Link cried out, as he turned to leave, only to be stopped by the voice of the spirit once more.

_Wait…brave youth…take this vessel with you…and collect the tears of light that the…shadow insects have stolen from me…_In a flash light, a strange object appeared by Link's feet. It was a small like twig with strange crystal balls attached to it. The wolf grabbed it with his mouth, and look confusingly at Midna.

"…Shadow insects, he says?" she grinned at the wolf below her. "This could be fun!"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

In a way, Link had to admit that hunting for shadow insects had amused him…a little. Going around the woods chasing after little insects that could run as well as they could bite had not been a pleasant experience, but, then again, he wouldn't have seen the effects of the Twilight in his home. Now, Link could finally understand what Midna had meant by 'turning into a spirit' back in the dungeons.

Coro, the lantern salesman, Link had met during Talo's kidnapping had been turned into a spirit, at least, to Link's eyes. The poor sap was fearing for his life, as unknown creatures circled his home. Midna had been kind enough to explain that the shadow creatures could only be seen by these spirits, for Link had to use his sense of smell and a few animal senses on his side to spot the creatures. For once, during her explanation, Midna didn't seem to take pleasure in seeing Coro crying out for his life, but appeared rather disgusted about what the Twilight was doing to an innocent, of course, she didn't let it show it much.

What seemed to be just a few hours later, the wolf was walking back towards the spring, the vessel of light full, in his mouth. As he approached the spring, he could barely see the light returning to it. It wasn't until Link dropped the vessel into the water that the changes were more noticeable; light seemed to explode from the area, as the darkness of the Twilight disappeared, returning the color and life to the woods, meanwhile Midna returned to his shadow.

_Thank you…brave youth…_Before Link had any chance to blink, a large light engulfed the spring, only to be replaced by a large squirrel, its tail curling around its body, light surrounding it like a cocoon. _My name is Faron, _it said, nodding towards Link. _I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in this land of Hyrule. I use the life force of the gods to protect this forest…_It seemed to glance around the area as if to make its point, before turning back to Link. _O brave youth…in the land covered in Twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast…a sign…it was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you…and that they are awakening. _

The only thing Link did, was blink in confusion, wondering, _Power? Chosen one? What is it…wait a minute, something is…_Trailing off from his thoughts, Link took a moment to look at himself, only to let out a startled cry from human lips. No longer did Link wore animal skin, but rather, he was human again, but not only that, but wearing a rather strange green tunic and a matching hat. He didn't mind the clothes much…he was back! He no longer wore fur, no longer had to wave a long furry tail, he didn't even have fangs anymore!

"I'm…I'm back to normal!" the goat herder cried, finally noticing the Ordon Shield and sword strapped on his back, as he looked at himself once more. "…I'm normal, again…" Link sighed in relief.

_O brave youth…that tunic you were now, was once one that belonged to the chosen hero of legend…now, you wear it…_Faron explained, causing the young man to turn his attention, a rather shocked expression present on his face. _…it can only mean that his power has awakened within you…you are the chosen hero of the gods…o, brave youth. _

"Th-the…what?" the young man, no, hero cried out, almost tripping on his own two feet at the revelation. No, no…that couldn't be right. He was a goat herder, a goat herder for the goddesses' sake! He was no hero…no, he couldn't be…so, he was a little skilled in the sword…so what? He was strong and agile, but that was obvious for one growing among a village, where everyone cooperated…but…but a hero…it was just, so hard to believe.

_Your surprise is to be expected…_Faron explained, nodding his large head at the still, disbelieving hero before him. _It has been foretold, young Link, that you must save this land from the darkness that plagues it…_

…_it has been foretold? _Link thought, his mouth hanging open, as he looked back at the spirit. _But…but, I'm just a simple goat herder…_Yes, he was a simple man, with a simple job, yet, here he was, being told by one of the guardians of this land of Hyrule that he was a hero, one foretold to come to relieve this land off the darkness. A chosen hero of the gods…a hero…_A hero who is destined to save…and yet couldn't even save his own friends…_the young man added bitterly, recalling his failed attempt at saving Colin and Ilia and the kids.

_Deep within these woods, _the spirit went on, oblivious to the inner turmoil of the chosen hero. _A dark power rests in a great temple, once home to forest creatures, now closed due to its forbidden power. _Link looked back at the spirit as he said the last words; a temple, here in the woods? Since, when? _Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away, deep within that ancient wood. You must know, because of its nature, it is a power that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. _

…_a dark power? _the young man thought, looking concerned.

…_but, this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, _Faron went on. _And so, there is no choice…you must match the power of the king of shadows. If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths…where once, forest creatures played and laughed, where fairies roamed in numbers…where life was plenty, but now has become ancient and lost…go, now, brave youth…_And with those last, simple words, the great spirit of Faron was gone, and with him gone, the small imp took her chance to pop out of Link's shadow and surprise the hero.

"Well, well, who would have thought it? I mean, you, a hero? The little puppy has become an alpha male! Now that, was unexpected!" she cried out, smirking, meanwhile Link, still looked at his hands, unsettled.

"…You're telling me…"

"So…" Midna began, changing the subject as quickly as she brought it up. "…are you planning on heading to that old temple that spirit mentioned?" Link frowned. Did he need to…or better yet, did he actually have the power to find that dark power the spirit spoke about? Was he really a hero? But…heroes always did what they were told they had to do…in fictional tales, and this was the real world. There was real danger, real people were involved…even death. But, on the other hand, if he was going to do this…no, if he had been willing to save Colin and Ilia, but, they had been different. They were his friends. Could he possibly go through hell and back for strangers, even for this Midna imp whom he barely knew, and save them, as he would have his friends? But…if he didn't…

_Hero chosen by the gods…nice mess you got yourself into Link…nice one…but…_he glanced at Midna, who was still waiting for his answer, and was rather confused by his silence. _…I have to…for my friends…_ "…well…I'm no-"

"Isn't that a coincidence?" Midna cried out, not even letting Link finish his sentence, her cocky expression back in place. "That's exactly where that thing I need is!" Link gave her a suspicious look.

"You mean…that forbidden power was the thing you wanted me to help you with?" Midna began to wave her hand, brushing the question aside.

"Ah, details, details! You worry too much! Remember that you, owe me!" Before the young hero could even say anything against her logic, Midna disappeared into his shadow. Link gave his shadow a look, and then muttered,

"Yeah…I can clearly see the connection here, too…"

**

* * *

**

A small, brown hawk flew over trees and stones, its head moving from right and left, trying to spot a certain blonde haired youth, to no avail.

For hours, now, or maybe a day or so, Zelda, after the attack on the village, had looked all over for Link, frantically trying to find the young goat herder, to see if he was well. She had been somewhat relieved, after her failed attempt to save the children from the Bulblins, that Link had somehow evaded capture. But now, he was gone. Not even the forest creatures knew of his whereabouts, and even that strange black wall in the entrance of Faron Woods had taken her by surprise, and already sensing the malevolent aurora that surrounded it, Zelda dared not fly any closer.

Finally, giving in to exhaustion from flying for hours, Zelda looked down below, trying to find a safe spot to land. She spotted the Ordon Spring not too far away, and landed gracefully upon its waters. Deciding a bath would probably soothe the pain of her bruises and exhausted body, Zelda began to splash water at herself. It was during this splashing, that she noticed something seemed rather…off, or no…that feeling…Turning around, Zelda finally spotted the change, the bird gave out a loud squeak of surprise. _**What in the world? **_she thought, as she began to hover in the air, her expression firm. _**Did…something happen to that strange wall of darkness?**_ Deciding to go explore the area further, Zelda prepared to fly away from the spring, before a strange glow seem to catch her attention.

…_rightful ruler of Hyrule, _a kind voice spoke, as Zelda turned her full attention towards where it had come from. It didn't take long for the light spirit of Ordon to appear, nodding at Zelda, who in turn, despite her surprise, bowed politely.

"**Oh, great spirit!" **

_Arise, young ruler…you and I must speak…fate has been awful to you, _Ordona observed, as he examined Zelda's new form.

"**I believe it has been so…great spirit…umm…"**

_Do you wish to find the goat herder, child? _the spirit guessed, causing Zelda to be taken back by his question, but not deny it. _You must not worry for him, child…he is fine…however, his fate has begun to unfold before him…_

"**His fate?" **

_Indeed…the gods have chosen him as the hero…to save your land from the Twilight…_

"**The…the hero chosen by the gods?" **the hawk cried out, shocked and amazed all at the same time by the revelation. **"He is the hero talked about in the ancient tales of my kingdom!" **

_Hero, he is…he carries within him the essence of the hero of old, the one who could travel through time…the gods have confirmed this by seeing his transformation to the blue-eyed beast…_

"**Blue-eyed beast? Essence?" **Zelda asked, confused.

_Yes…like you, he too, was transformed by the Twilight, yet thanks to Faron's light, his true form was revealed, and his humanity returned. _Zelda suddenly let go of a the air she didn't know she was holding in. Yes, Link was fine, and not only that, he was the great hero chosen by the gods! But, if he had returned back to normal…could she…

"…**and, if I may ask, O Great Spirit of Light?" **

_Do so, princess of destiny, tell me what you wish to know…_Zelda seem to hesitate, but went on, either way.

"…**how…how can I break my curse? You told me that the Great Spirit, Faron's light, was able to restore Link's true form…I…I feel that my being yielded to evil long ago…so, I ask you, spirit, can you cure me of this evil that plagues me so?" **Her heart sank low as soon as she saw Ordona shake his large head.

_I fear that I cannot, for pure evil rests among your very soul…it has yet to corrupt you, yes…and it never will. Not even my brethren are capable of breaking you this curse that plagues you so…_

"**Yet…Link was spared…was his transformation different from mine?" **the hawk asked, fearing the answer.

_Yes…as you, he too, carries within his being the triforce…_WHAT? The triforce? Zelda was rather taken back by this bit of information. She had been with him all this time and she hadn't even noticed….had she been a bit…distracted, to not even notice the mark of the gods? _…he was merely transformed by the corrupted form of the Twilight…_Zelda, deciding that her surprise could wait, pondered her next question. If the spirits couldn't help her, as they had Link, perhaps something else could.

"**Then…could the Blade of Evil's bane aid me?" **

_I fear not, child…while the sword does dispel evil, it is evil that plagues your very being…it is old and sacred…just like the blade…which cannot touch those with pure hearts…those not clenched with evil to their very cores. Despite the fact the blade cannot kill those with blessed power and souls, there was once a man that was both sacred and evil, yet he was defeated by the great blade, but unlike him, you are sacred to a certain flaw…the blade wouldn't recognize the evil within you…_

"…**so…being sacred is a blessing, yet at the same time…a curse…" **Zelda lamented, as she lowered her head.

_Do not despair, child, _Ordona advised, making the small hawk look back at the spirit. _There is but, another way to return you to your true form. _The princess felt relief wash over her being, and she extended her wings.

"**Really!" **

…_however, it comes with a great price…_

"**A price?"** Zelda asked, confused. While she was willing to pay any price to return to normal and aid Link in his quest, something about Ordona's sadden voice made her worry.

_Yes….the curse can only be broken…by death.

* * *

_

Done! Alright...you guys will be seeing this really long chapters from now on...and most of the story will change, other than descriptions and the feelings of the characters which I will try to tune out more...and again, I apologize for the delay...

See you next update!


	6. Chapter 6

Fyras14: Fyras here! Sorry for the rather big, big, big delay! Real life can be hard, and well...this chapter had been seating in my USB for what? Four, maybe five months already? I lost count now...I finally decided to leave some parts as they were, seeing as not many chances were added here. The chapter is definately different, in some parts, but not all. This one too, is a little short. Sorry.

Now, I do plan to keep the updates on Monday, but that will have to wait until after next week. Then, I have vacation, and I might be able to focus on updating this story, but until then, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

And again, sorry for the dealy.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

* * *

"_A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men."_

**-Plato**

**-Chapter 6-**

**-Feathers, Fur, and Twilight-**

One way or another, Midna had to admit that the light dweller wasn't half bad. Sure, so he was a hero chosen by the gods, but could he prove it in real combat? Even she had had her doubts when he had ventured through that dead tree of a temple and faced up against that plant monster corrupted by the dark power. Nonetheless, he beat the evil creature with a few bruises to worry about, although Midna reasoned that he wouldn't have had much of a chance if that crazy monkey hadn't helped him out. Yep, she wasn't that impressed yet, but at least she got what she wanted.

She watched from the corner of her eye, as Link returned his sword back to its sheath and thanked the weird monkey for his aid, who in return, nodded vigorously and left. The small imp rolled her eyes at the display, as Link turned to face Midna, eyeing the strange object in her hands, the same one that had once been part of the giant plant he had fought previously.

"So…is this it?" he asked the imp, causing her to nod.

"Yep, this is what I have been looking for…a Fused Shadow…"

"…you mean that that dark power the spirit mentioned is...this?" Link asked, taking a cautious step back, as the imp snapped her fingers, which disappeared the object of darkness in a flash of black light and particles.

"Yeah! You haven't forgotten what he said, have you? In order to defeat the king that killed your dear princess, we need all the pieces of the Fused Shadows…"

"…all the pieces of the Fused Shadows, huh?" Link repeated, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "And…just what exactly are those things for, other than turning plants into giant man-eating flora?"

"Maybe later," Midna replied, seemingly ignoring the question altogether. "Right now, you should focus more on finding them all!"

"Hey, hold it!" Link cried, as the imp made to move back into his shadow. "How about helping me out, remember?"

"Ah…don't worry so much, doggy."

"Link!"

"…doggy. Anyway, don't worry too much about it, I'll help you eventually."

"Eventually?"

"Yeah, whatever. Now, come on, we wasted enough time here as it is. Get ready to go!"

"Ready to-" Whatevever Link was about to say was cut off as he felt himself breaking. There was no pain, no blood, no flinching…he felt lightheaded…as if he was moving at a very fast pace. It was a different sensation from what he felt as a wolf, because unlike last time, he could actually feel it...his human body was breaking apart, going faster…faster…and then in the blink of an eye, Link was already outside, standing just a few paces away from Faron Spring. Link only blinked, and then, shook his head, frowning. _She's doing this on purpose, _he thought, as he glanced back at the spring, before beginning his trek towards the other Twilight covered lands. He stopped short when the spirit's voice resonated around the area.

_Heroic Link, _it whispered. _Do not think that this land of Hyrule is now saved from the spread of Twilight…leave these woods and go to the west, where you will find the land protected by the spirit of Eldin…_Faron instructed. _There you will find those you seek…_

"Those I seek?" Link asked, before a wave of realization hit him. "You mean…Ilia and the children? Is that what you mean?" Could it be true? Could he actually save Illia and the children? Perhaps he wasn't as late as he had thought. There was a chance!

_You will eventually find the answer, great hero…_came the spirit's response, making Link frown. That sure didn't answer anything. _But know that these lands lie in twilight…_the spirit warned. _They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk. If you set foot beyond the curtains of twilight, you will revert to your beast form, so be prepared. Hero chosen by the gods, leave these woods and go west, to the land of the spirit of Eldin…the gods wish you to have a safe journey…and good luck…_Link looked at the spring for the longest time, thinking. Would he be able to find them? Could he save them? Of course he would! He had defeated a creature of the darkness, didn't he? He could handle this! He would save them! Link was the hero chosen by the Gods, after all.

As he was there, thinking, he barely noticed his shadow leave him and take form in front of him. "That's better!" came Midna's voice, spooking him.

"Hey! Don't do that!" he cried out, as Midna giggled in amusement.

"Well, well, I'm sorry Mr. Hero! Well, anyway, now we know where the other piece of the Fused Shadows is, we might as well get going, huh?" she told him, grinning.

"Still…what he said, about the Twilight…"

"Ah! You worry too much!" Midna said, waving his comment off. "When you turn to a beast again, I'll take care of you!" Link rolled his eyes.

"Yes…because you took care of me so well, the last time…" the hero told her, grapping his ear unconsciously.

"They say first impressions are rough, you know. Now, less complaining and more moving!" With a small wave, Midna disappeared into his shadow.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The trip through Faron Woods could have got better, Link reasoned, as he took care of the last Moblin that stood on his way. Not even two minutes into the woods, and the hero had been surrounded by a group of Moblins looking for trouble. In a moment of confusion, Link mistook them for the children's kidnappers, but mended his error upon seeing their faces; it didn't make the fight any easier, either way.

Looking towards the road, Link gave a small sigh. The trees were finally becoming scarce, making way for the great plains that stood before him, but still, reminded him of what he was supposed to have done before this mess had started. His eyes darted towards the blood-covered blade in his hands; it was tainted. The nicest metal in all of Ordon, the greatest treasure of all, tainted. But, this sword would do no good to the dead. But, now, this blade had a new mission. A new goal, just like Link. If he was the hero of the gods, he would save not only the kids, but the kingdom.

He barely made it into the grand field, before stopping short, a familiar cry echoing behind him.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Zelda contemplated the spirit of light's words and sighed. Either way she looked, fate couldn't be merciful. _**At least, **_the hawk turned princess thought, _**I have found out what this curse truly is. **_But, despite that find, it didn't make things any better. The only consolation she could find was that at least the Triforce of Wisdom had saved her from the corruption that would have plagued her mind due to the evil magic.

And now, for the twilight that covered her land. Now she finally understood the reason why this twilight plagued this world. The reason that evil King came to her land and covered it in a vile of darkness. He wanted to turn the two realms, the Twilight realm, and Hyrule into one, so he could rule them. How he had obtain the power to transform her, was beyond her knowledge, or how he had arrived to her world for that matter. She sighed in the air, once more. Everything just seemed so complicated.

No use thinking about that now. She had to find Link. Only he could help her, but, should Zelda tell him who she truly was. Shame washed over her, suddenly. It was probably because of her that his friends had been kidnapped in the first place. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt off of her shoulders, or wings for that matter. Maybe that's why she was a hawk, and the only way to return to normal was through death. The gods wanted her dead…she was a pathetic ruler, one that put her own people in danger, and never did anything to save them. Zelda, princess of Uselessness, that name fitted better…she was useless…this kingdom was broken, and she was at fault.

Looking down below her in shame, Zelda barely noticed a strange green blur that caught her eyes. She stopped for a moment, examining it…before, that familiar face gave her all the recognition that she needed. She gave a loud cry, and glided towards that face.

It was Link.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link was simply shocked as Shannon flew towards him. "Shannon!" The bird only responded with a joyful cry, before circling around him. Link assumed that the hawk was happy to see him, and extended his arm for the hawk to land upon it. He passed a finger underneath the hawk's neck, smiling at seeing an old friend. "Shannon…you're alright…" Shannon blinked at him, and cried out, catching someone else's attention.

"Ugh! What's that noise!" Out from his shadow, Midna appeared, spooking the hawk. Shannon hovered on top of Link's arm, being calmed down by the hero. "It's alright, Shannon! She's…somewhat friendly…" Midna huffed at him, before she looked back at the hawk, who surprisingly had immediately calmed down and now was back on top of Link's arm.

"And, who is the bird brain?" Link frowned back at the shadow's habit of picking names for others.

"She's Shannon," he explained. Midna only smirked.

"Oh, so she's your pet? Who would have thought, a dog with a pet? Now that is a sight to see! Heehee!" Shannon cocked her head at Midna, as if confused. Link only sighed. "Well, anyway…we can't just stand around here, you know? We gotta go find that Eldin guy that spirit spoke about!"

"Yeah," he turned to Shannon. "Sorry, girl. But, I-" Before Link could speak, Shannon flew in the air, and hovered above his head. She pointed her beak towards the west, making both Link and Midna turned, confused. Link gasped at the sight that the animal pointed. Not too far away was a cloak of dark light, mixed together with the blue sky. "That…that is…"

"Yep. It seems the bird brain understands what we are looking for, after all…" Midna told him. Link looked at Shannon.

"...thanks Shannon…you made my job easier…" The hawk seem to nod at him, before she landed in the ground beside him, not planning to go anywhere else. Link stared down at her, smiling a bit. "If I didn't know better, I would believe you wanted to come with me." Much to his amazement, Shannon nodded her head, while Midna grinned.

"Well, what do you know? Maybe that bird brain is smarter than it appears!" She soon disappeared and turned back to Link's shadow, Shannon watching curiously all the way. As if she was fascinated by this strange imp's little trick. Once Midna was gone, the hawk was flying once again, looking down at Link, all ready to go.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link ran as Shannon flew towards the west of the vast Hyrule Field, the bird glancing down a few times to see if the hero was following, and slowed down with him when he finally came to a stop, seeing the cloak of darkness closer. The hawk also stopped in the air, watching the darkness before them. _Is this…the cause of that Twilight thing, like what the spirits said? _Link thought as he calmly walked towards it.

"HEEEEEYYYY!" A voice stopped both Link and Shannon from going anywhere else. A strange man in a red cap was running towards him, his face red and sweaty, as if he had been running away from something. The strange man stopped in front of Link, as Shannon gracefully landed on top of Link's sword hilt, making the man look at the hawk once, before turning his attention back at Link. "Go no further!" He said, huffing as he did. "There is a black wall ahead that blocks the way!" The man warned, removing some sweat away from his forehead.

"Where exactly is that wall?" Link asked him, causing the strange man to look at him in bewilderment.

"Near Kakariko," the man explained. "But, if you're planning to go in there, it is impossible! I myself planned to deliver a few letters, but it was impossible to enter…ah, and to think I called myself a once honorable and dependable postman…" He straighten himself, and looked back at Link and nodded. "I wish you a safe journey, young man…whatever you are going to do, don't be too rash!" He began to run away, but turned back to face Link, already ready to set off running again. "Beware, though! Monsters lurked this lands like no tomorrow! I'll be seeing you soon, though! My job and you might cross roads sometime!" And with those words, the man was gone.

Link and Shannon exchanged looks, before Midna's voice finally spoke again. "Kakariko, huh? That's probably were that next spirit is…okay, then…doggy," Link frowned. "bird brain," Shannon only shook her head. "let's get going!" Before long, the two travelers, a bird and a man, went on towards Kakariko.

**

* * *

**

The sweat almost blinded Link, as he easily took care of one Moblin. From the air, Shannon took care of a few flying foes, amazing Link even more. He assumed that it must be in Shannon's nature, she was a hawk after all, the hunter of the skies. Once he was done with the Moblins below, he quickly put away his weapons, quickly taking out the slingshot he had bought for the kids, to aid his bird friend. He prepared a rock in the string, only to stop in wonder.

Shannon was surrounded by a pair of monstrous birds, Kargaroks. They both flew at either side of her, and then, they launched themselves towards the hawk. Before Link could let go of the rock attached to the string, he stopped in shock as Shannon, easily tricked the birds to slam against each other. They fell to the ground, and Link, thinking fast, threw the slingshot to the ground and took out his sword, slashing against the defenseless birds before they stopped being defenseless. With the Kargaroks dead, Link looked up at Shannon, and grinned despite himself. "Good one, Shannon!" He earned himself a small cry, indicating that Shannon was glad. The hero heard a small snicker, and looked down at his shadow.

"That bird brain is good after all!" Link picked up his slingshot, and put his sword away, before he ran towards Kakariko, Shannon flying above him.

Link quickly stopped, when he saw the wall of darkness before him. The hero frowned. It had those same strange markings that the one he had seen before had. Shannon landed nearby, also looking at the wall with some worry. "Hey," Midna came out of from Link's shadow, and looked back at Link. "it was much closer than I thought…You remember, right? You know what this is?" Link grabbed his neck unconsciously.

"How can I forget?" He didn't notice the worried glance from Shannon, nor that she had turn her head to the ground.

"If you set foot in there," the imp explained. "you might be a wolf again for quite some time, at least as long as it takes you to save the light of that spirit from the twilight, anyway…" Midna shrugged, and then grinned. "So, are we ready to enter the twilight?"

"Yeah…" Link turned to face Shannon. "Sorry girl, I can't put you through this one…you'll have to stay," he looked up as Shannon began to hover in the air. "you'll turn into a spirit if you try to enter…" Link told her, as if she could understand. He turned to face Midna, when suddenly he felt something lift his green hat, and he looked up. Shannon was holding his hat with her talons, crying out and pointing her beak at the wall of darkness. Midna giggled as Link tried to get his hat back. "Shannon! Give it back! This is no time to play!" Shannon flew higher, making Link unable to save his hat. She flapped her wings faster, and faced the wall.

"Perhaps she's trying to tell you, that she wants to get in?" Midna suggested. Link only gave her a strange look.

"Why would she want to do that?" The imp shrugged.

"Maybe she wants to help you, I don't know…it's not like anything is going to happen to her, anyway…" Midna told him shrugging. "She'll turn into a spirit once we get in." Link turned to face Shannon, who still held his hat up in the air. He raised his hands in defeat.

"Okay, okay, I get it…you win, you can come with us, now, give that back!" Seconds later, his hat fell on his face, Shannon crying out in joy. Link put his hat back to his head, laughing a bit. "Thanks…" he turned to Midna. "Well, let's get going, then!" The imp nodded, before she went towards the wall. She disappeared into it, and then, both Link and Shannon waited. Suddenly, two orange hands came out. One grabbed Link and the other grabbed Shannon, dragging them both into the wall of twilight.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link groaned a bit as he transformed again. This time, however, the transformation was faster and less agonizing. After only opening his eyes, the hero turned wolf felt better. Good as new, if he dared say so himself, at least, before he felt that familiar weight of Midna on top of him. She patted his fur, grinning. "Good to see you back to your roots!"

"**Hahaha…very funny…" **

"Well, now that we are here, you'll have to listen to what I say from now on! Ah! Look at this lovely scenery!" Midna told him, making him turn around to look at the darkness that covered the area. Exactly as what had happened in Faron Woods. Everything was dark, with strange particles floating all around. "The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today…I feel so much more at ease here…hehehe!"

"**I would feel the same as well, though, I do presume with this evil creatures around, feeling comfortable around here will be quite difficult." **Link and Midna turned around when they heard a strange voice, although in Midna's case it sounded like the cry of a hawk. She looked up in the air, and spotted Shannon, flying above them, her blue eyes shining with confusion.

"Well, what do you know?" she said, folding both arms across her chest, amused and surprised at the same time. "The bird brain is quite resistant to the twilight!"

"**Shannon!"**Link cried out in disbelief.** "Ho-what? How!"**Shannon landed nearby, shrugging, although it was quite difficult to do so thanks to her wings.

"**I have no idea what you speak to me about, Link,"**the hawk told him.** "it feels strange here, however, but I don't see what poses your question.."**Link couldn't help but look at her, bewildered. She was still there, not as a spirit as those other animals he had spotted on Faron Woods, nor that lantern salesman. He only sighed, unsure of what to think. He was only glad that to the hawk everything seemed absolutely normal, minus the evil creatures of course.

"**Ah…sorry, Shannon…I thought…never mind…" **

"**It's alright, really…although, I would love to know why you are a beast like me? Did that strange creature you carry do this to you?" **

"**Nope…she's more of a bother, but not the cause."**

"You know, if I didn't know better, I would think I was being insulted." Midna muttered, looking at the two talking animals. She gave a hard pat on Link's head, making the wolf beneath her growl. "Hey, if you haven't noticed doggy, we have a crisis." She pointed a small figure to the twilight. "We don't want to keep the spirit waiting, do we?" Link nodded, and looked back at Shannon.

"**Listen, Shannon…if I could explain it, I would…but-"**

"**Do not worry, Link,"**Shannon told him, raising a wing to silence him.** "I was able to understand your friend perfectly…we have no time for explanations."**Link looked back at the hawk, as she took the air. The wolf was slightly amused by what the hawk said, as if she understood what Link was trying to do._**As if she knew what my fate was…but, maybe it's just her instinct…**_Link merely shrugged it off, as he ran deeper into the darkness, Shannon flying behind him. Yeah, maybe it was just instinct.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Not two minutes into the twilight, and Link and Shannon were up against strange evil creatures, transformed by the powers of darkness. They had easily taken the foes down, with Link taking them out from the ground, and Shannon from the sky. Not too far away, they found it. It was a small stick, a very familiar stick. It had been the training sword that Link had made when he and Rusl would practice swordplay. This was the one that Talo had, the one he had given to him. He could faintly smell Talo and the others, they were around here…somewhere. Shannon seemed to notice this, and cried out from above.** "Have you found the children, Link?" **

"**Nope! I can smell them…I'll just track scent and we'll find them…hopefully they are okay," **Link said, whimpering a bit.

"**Do not worry, Link," **Shannon told him.** "the children we'll be alright…they are fairly strong, they'll make it." **Link nodded back at her, before they went deeper into the darkness that was now Kakariko, with Shannon following Link as he tracked down the children's smell.

"Oh! Oh! Look out, doggy!" Midna cried, suddenly tugging Link's ears, making him stop. He had been so focused on finding the kids, that he didn't notice the bridge was missing. "That's strange…the bridge…its gone…maybe it was the work of those shadow beasts, they must have-"

"**Careful! Something strange is dropping out of the sky!" **Shannon warned, making both Link and Midna look up, as a large hole appeared on the sky, releasing form it, three shadow beasts. A huge wall covered the area, trapping Link, Shannon, and Midna.

"…it's a trap." Midna said simply, before the creatures jumped up to them.


	7. Chapter 7

Fyras14: Sorry for the delay, people...I kinda got caught up in something else...anyway, Chapter seven is as good as here...I have decided to only change and correct parts that do need correcting and not all of the chapter...however, this to, will take time, but I assure you I will move to the Monday updates...this one would have been quicker had i not forgotten about it...right now, I'm trying to update some of my stories and correcting a few others...

Anyway, next chapter might come either on Monday or at Tuesday, depending if I finish it on time...as Christmas is coming up in a couple of days. Consider this chapter an early Christmas present and well, enjoy the holidays!

See you guys next chapter!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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* * *

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says 'I'll try again tomorrow'._

**-Mary Anne Radmacher**

**-Chapter 7-**

**-A Lesson in Heroics-**

Zelda hated to lie to Link. She hated it!

Even as she aided the human-turned-wolf against the strange shadow creatures that had taken over her kingdom, her guilt was unbearable, unnoticed by her animal traits. It was childish, really…was there really a need to lie to the person that had taken care of her while she was cursed with this malady?

_Yes! _came the voice from deep inside her being, as she sunk her talons on the creature below her. _I'm ashamed…what would I possibly win if I face him? …I can't possibly face him and tell him of my mistakes…_Then, another voice spoke as she watched the hero wolf finish off another of those evil creatures, this one hiding no shame.

_But, he would understand! He wouldn't judge me…_Yet, despite these thoughts, her guilt was great and soon, they were overridden.

_No…no he wouldn't…_her mind went on, as the hawk princess pecked on a flying creature's belly, sending it to the ground for Link to finish the job. _He'll just…no…no…he wouldn't understand…_It was odd, really...why, of all the people in her kingdom, Link's matter more to her, all of the sudden. She had been feeling differently for him ever since he began to take care of her…she felt, lightheaded when in his presence at times, others, she couldn't help but blush inwardly when he praised her…yet, despite of Zelda's vast wisdom, she did not know the answer. But, maybe she did, but found it hard to explain it to her guilt-ridden heart.

As she contemplated all of this, her eyes lowered towards Link, who was finishing off the reminder of shadow beasts, aided by the little imp that had settled on top of him like a horseman to a horse. Once the creatures of shadows fell in defeat, they turned into small particles, flying back into the air, and Zelda watched in wonder as they went back to the same hole they had come from, forgotten from the battlefield.

"**Phew…that was a close call," **the wolf muttered, shaking his head, as Zelda landed nearby.

"**Indeed," **came the hawk princess's reply, as she glanced towards where the bridge once stood. **"But…how would you cross to the other side?" **she wondered out loud, looking back at Link. **"I could try carrying you…but…it would have…unfortunate consequences, I'm afraid…" **Link nodded in agreement with the hawk, before looking back at the space where the bridge once stood, and then, at the small imp on his back.

"**Midna?"** Link barked, catching the imp's attention; Midna only glanced back at him before sighing in frustration.

"Hmph! Those guys just made my job harder!" She looked down at Link, and offered him an explanation. "Those shadow creatures must have transported the bridge somewhere else…"

"**Transported the bridge?" **Zelda asked, earning a small growl, of 'I have no idea', from Link.

"Let's just say those guys just moved it to another area." Midna explained, as if understanding what they were trying to tell her. "From this world, to yours."

_Ah! _Zelda thought, looking back at the empty space replacing the bridge. _Could it be that the creatures knew we were coming here? Perhaps that's why they got rid of the bridge…or…could they be…blocking the path…to protect something? _

"**And can we put the bridge back where it belongs**?" Link asked the imp, making Zelda look back at them. Midna nodded, apparently already guessing the meaning of his growls and barks.

"Yeah, we can put the thing back again. If we can find the place where those guys transported the bridge to, I can transport it back here." Before Link could open his mouth again, Zelda took over for him.

"**And, how are we to find this…bridge, as you call it?" **Zelda asked, trying her best to sound as if she didn't know what they were talking about, despite her mind telling her to tell the truth right there. She knew it wouldn't do her any good if she told Link who she truly was. He might even get angry at her for lying to him…but, then, her logical self reasoned, what if that evil king found them? What if this king found her, and hurt Link? Or that imp, Midna? No, she wouldn't do it. That was a given. No one would have to suffer from her mistakes, and she wasn't about to go through with another one, were she toreveal herself and Link's life or those of his friends were put in danger. _It's for the best…_

The hawk looked back at Link, who was looking at the imp, as Midna explained something to him, about a portal, or something like that. The wolf turned to face her, but before he could say anything, he disappeared into a million of black particles, that in turn entered the portal that still remained there.

Zelda only stood there, baffled at the sight. What had happened to Link and that imp? Had the shadow creatures gotten to them? She suddenly began to panic, hovering in the air, trying to find them.** "LINK! LINK! MIDNA!" **she cried out, waiting for a howl, growl, or a snide comment to call back. Zelda found none. She was about to fly away, when something strange caught her eyes. The hawk princess gave a loud gasp when the bridge that was missing minutes ago, materialized back into its place. Soon after, Link and Midna appeared, with Link growling back at the imp.

"**Why didn't you warn me you were going to transport me with your magic!" **Link growled.** "You could have at least waited for me to tell Shannon!" **Midna only giggled.

"Why are you complaining about, anyway, doggy?" she asked him, pointing a finger up in the air, where Zelda was. "She was just spooked a little…besides, bird brain is pretty careful, unlike some people, well, in your case, dogs, are! Hee hee!" Link showed his sharp teeth at her.

"**Why you-"**

"**There really is no need to worry nor to get angry, Link." **Zelda told him, landing nearby, glad to see him safe and sound.** "Besides, weren't we suppose to be tracking the children?" **she went on, ignoring another insult from Midna. Link sighed, and began to follow the scent, all the while hearing another mocking comment from the imp on top of him.

"**Do you want to switch places? You carry this one, and I'll just watch from the ground…" **

"**No, thank you." **Zelda mentally laughed to herself, when she heard a small whine coming from Link's canine mouth.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It had not taken Link long to find the scent of the kids again, and soon, both he and Midna, accompanied by Shannon up in the air, found a large gate blocking their way, well, at least Link and Midna's.** "Oh…great…now what?"**

"**Probably I could carry you…" **Shannon told him, but Link only shook his head.

"**Not a good idea, Shannon…you'll would drop me before we even reach that far." **Midna, meanwhile, ignored the two animals as she looked at the gate, muttering to herself,

"This a pretty elaborate gate…wonder what they are trying to keep in? …Or out?" Link managed to shrug, as he examined the place to find any sort of opening, fortunately, Midna gave him an idea. "Why don't you try digging around here?" she asked him, causing Link to look back at her a bit confused. "You know, dig? As in, making a hole." The wolf growled at her snide remark, and sniffed the ground to find a patch of earth to dig through. Once he found it, he nodded at Shannon, who was already flying on the other side of the gate, waiting for him. It didn't take long for Link to pass to the other side of the gate. Shannon was already ahead of them, waiting for them to continue.

In the distance, Link could see the small village that lay at the foot of a canyon, with a huge mountain overlooking it. The sight that greeted the two animals was far from good, as more shadow beasts decorated the streets of the abandoned village. Link gave a small growl, and heard Shannon cry out,** "This village…it is so…empty…did those creatures do something to it?" **

"**Don't know…" **Link told her, jumping to bite off the neck of a beast. Midna joined the battle too, creating some sort of strange hole on the ground that paralyzed the creatures, for the two animals to attack them.

"We gotta get rid of all of this guys!" Midna told them, grabbing one of the shadow beasts with her strange orange and blue hair, then throwing it towards another. "If at least one of this guys remain standing it will call forth more of its friends!" Link growled in agreement, before he and Shannon finished the last two remaining shadow beasts. Once the shadows had been taken care of, Link looked around, looking for the spring. He didn't need to bother though, as a voice calmly called him and his allies to it.

_To the hero…who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast…by the realm of shadows…in twilight….and his companion…this way…_Link and Shannon exchanged glances, before they slowly made their way to the spring, that was hidden between some rocks, but not hard to spot. Shannon gave a gasp as she saw the condition the spirit was in. _I am…a…spirit of light…_

"More like what remains of light, you mean…" Midna muttered, earning a bark and a cry from both Link and Shannon respectively. A faint chuckle caught their ears, before the spirit spoke again.

…_that is much…very true…lady of the twilight…oh…hero chosen by the gods, and his companion of the wind…Look for my light…gather the light stolen by the shadows…_In a flash of light, a very familiar twig appeared by his feet. Midna grabbed it with her hair, before it disappeared into shadow particles.

"Easier if I hold it," she told the questioning glance of Link.

…_return my light…to me…from the insects of shadows…but…be careful…the darkness…now hunts you…little ones…_The light of Eldin soon disappeared, making Shannon looked at Link worriedly.

"**Whatever has happened?" **

"**He's okay, we just have to collect his light…everything will return back to normal once we do…anyway, maybe we should start looking for those insects…"**

"…**insects? …How…odd…" **

"**Agreed," **Link told her. **"but, we can't do anything about that right now." **

"Hey, you two done? We have light to return to, here…although, on the other hand, I wouldn't mind if this place stayed like this for a while." She received a glare from the two beasts accompanying her. "Okay, okay…I get it…sheesh…"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link and Shannon had decided to look for the shadow insects separately, that way, they wouldn't lose more time as it was. The wolf watched from his spot as Shannon took the air, wishing her good luck before he began his own search. He sniffed around, trying to find any sign of the insects, when a strange voice suddenly filled his ears.

"_Cripes! How the heck am I supposed to babysit someone else's little brats,when I'm supposed to be savin' myself!" _Link looked around, and spotted a strange blue light nearby. The wolf recognized it immediately; this had been exactly how he had seen Coro, the lantern seller, when he was in the Twilight in Faron Woods. It seems that this guy, whoever he was, was now a spirit. A rather angry and panicked spirit at that.

"Why don't you check inside that house, eh? You might find some shadow insects in there…I'm pretty sure bird brain will cry out if she found any on her side…" Link nodded in agreement, and looked around to find a way in. After a couple of minutes of looking, Midna called out. "Hey! Look up, doggy!" Link did as he was told, and found a small platform. With Midna's help, Link jumped all the way, until he was on top of the house itself. Before he could take a couple of steps, however, something stop him from walking longer, and he fell.

When he finally felt the ground, Link shook his head, and looked around. He realized that he was inside the house, and the spirit he had seen before was nearby, looking through the window. It seems that neither this spirit, nor the others, as Link noticed, had heard him. Link examined the other group of spirits, and then gave a small gasp. It was the children! Colin, Talo, Malo, and Beth, along with another girl and a man he didn't recognize. But, where was Ilia? _"Cripes!" _called that voice again, making Link looked away from thechildren to face another man. It was thatsame spirit from earlier. _"I don't see those black brutes anywhere…they've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!" _Link looked back at the kids, and watched as Talo crept closer to a strange man with long black hair, hugging him tightly, as Colin watched the spirit that had just spoken, calm and neutral. Link, noticed though, that he was shaking slightly.

"_We are safe as long as we remain in here, child…" _The long haired man told Talo kindly. _"Be at ease…" _The man that was looking out the window turned to face the long haired man and gave him a look.

"_Oh yeah? I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you…They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?" _he asked him. The long haired man glared at him, but that didn't faze the other man any bit. _"Once they attack, it's OVER! Remember that lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters, already waitin'! You connectin' the dots? That means that if we get attacked by them, then we are done for!"_

"_BARNES!" _cried the long haired man, angrily. Link gave an angry growl of his own, noticing how this man, Barnes's, words were scaring the children. Both Barnes and the long haired man stared at each other, before a cry took them by surprise. Little Beth had began to cry. Barnes turned his head in shame, before he was on his hands and knees on the ground.

"_Look, Renado…" _Barnes began apologetically. _"All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?" _The long haired man, Renado, merely shrugged.

"_There is…a cellar." _

"_WHAAT?"_ Barnes almost ran towards where Renado and the children were seated. _"You've got a CELLAR! Where's the entrance, man?"_

"_The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit…" _Renado pointed to some candles across the room, hanging near a small platform that worked as the second floor. Barnes was quick to grab a stick, and lit it up. Before he began to run towards the candles to light them up, the girl that Link didn't recognize, spoke up.

"_I…would not do that…" _the girl told him, making Barnes trip on the floor in surprise. _"When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside…" _That made Barnes drop his stick to the ground, and cower back in fear. Link rolled his eyes, while Midna giggled at his reaction.

He turned back to face the children, Beth was still crying, but Colin was trying his best to calm her down. _"Don't cry, Beth! It'll be OK!" _Colin said, only for Beth to push him away and continue to cry. _"Link is coming to save us all!...I can feel it!" _At those words, everyone in the room turned to look back at him, although Barnes was visibly confused.

"**Colin…" **Link whispered sadly. Midna, on the other hand, was not exactly touched by the scene before her, and only giggled.

"These kids knew you'd come to save them! What a hero!" She told him, grinning a bit. "How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all…Eee hee hee!"

"**Midna…" **he growled, glaring at the imp on his back.

"You actually brought this on yourself, though," she informed him. "being chosen as a hero by the gods and no one to know of your trials is quite something. Well, we better get to that cellar, since that girl said there were shadow insects down there! Now, go lonely little doggy hero!" Link shook his head at the pointless insult, and turned to face Colin. For a moment, their eyes met, showing hope. Grabbing the stick that Barnes threw to the floor earlier, Link was quick to grab the stick, which still was lit with fire. He quickly jumped towards the platform, and began to lit the candles for the cellar door to open.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Right after getting into the cellar, Link had already found three shadow insects. Taking them down was easy, but, they still needed more light tears to fill the vessel of light that Eldin had given them. Link continued to run ahead, seeing as he saw no way to enter back to the house. He and Midna soon were greeted by a dead end, with a scaffolding standing there. "How about that?" the imp said, looking at the hole in the roof. "Looks like you can climb the scaffolding to get out of here…" Link nodded at her, and expertly jumped on it, making sure not to move too much, for it looked ready to collapse under his feet.

With a little help from Midna, Link was able to make it outside. And now, he stood outside in Kakariko again, this time, however he wasn't facing houses, but headstones. A graveyard stood in front of him, and with it more shadow insects. _This is…kinda spooky…_Link thought as he quickly dashed to catch a shadow insect that had decided to hide underground. _Twilight and graveyards don't exactly mix well in my opinion…_Releasing the tear of light from the insect, Link heard another voice, this one, however was from above.

"**LINK!" **Looking up, Link saw Shannon flying towards them. In her talons, she was holding three tears of light, much to his amazement.

"**SHANNON!" **The hawk threw them nearby, so Link and Midna could collect them with the vessel.** "Thanks a lot, Shannon…the vessel is almost full."**

"**Well, that's good to hear…" **she told him, as she landed nearby.

"**Yep. This next thing you're about to hear is even better! I found the kids!" **Shannon looked back at him, and cocked her head.

"**Really? Are they safe?" **Link nodded.

"**They're okay, just scared…" **Shannon turned to stare at the ground, a strange emotion swimming in her eyes.

"**Poor things…" **

"Hello?" Midna called out, gaining the animals' attention. "I thought we were collecting light here, not on a picnic!" Link suddenly growled, but didn't say anything as he and Shannon headed towards Kakariko.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Right after returning to Kakariko, Zelda watched as Link quickly entered a house, saying that he could smell some shadow insects nearby. While Zelda didn't have strange and helpful senses like Link, her magic had helped her enough to find this insects. Even though her magic was strictly limited in her hawk form, Zelda could use it to perform low level magic, like telepathy and to see the unseen. She was glad to be of help to Link in this realm of darkness, and was extremely happy to hear that the children were safe and sound. Although, she was rather sadden when Link told her that he hadn't spotted Ilia anywhere with them.

As Zelda thought of the evil fate that could have befallen the girl, something strange caught her nose. Looking down, she gasped in shock as the house that Link had entered was in flames. She dashed straight towards it, but stopped from getting in, when Link got out and said,** "GET AWAY FROM HERE! THIS HOUSE IS GOING TO BLOW!" **Zelda didn't waste any time, and flew far away before a large BOMB! resonated all around the place. Looking down, Zelda noticed that nothing remained of the house, but three floating balls, probably tears of light. After Link had went to pick them up, Zelda landed nearby, and cocked her head at him.

"**Am I to assume this was part of the plan?" **she asked him, her wing pointing to the remains of the house. Link whined, a little embarrassed.

"**No…not really, but…accidents happen." **Link noticed that the hawk wasn't very convinced.

"…**I see…your fault, then?" **

"**Pretty much…but, at least the vessel is full now…let's go see the spirit…" **Zelda shook her head, as she went up into the air. She followed Link towards the spring, and before they knew it, light calmly returned to the area. Link, too, was quick to return to his original form, and Midna was nowhere in sight. Zelda sighed, realizing that the light would do nothing to her. Soon, a huge spirit of light in the shape of an owl, hovering in the air. The fully recovered spirit of Eldin looked back at both Link and Zelda, before he spoke.

_Brave hero, and his small companion…_he told them, before flapping his wings once more. _My name is Eldin, one of the spirits of light that guards Hyrule, as well as these lands…if you are to seek the evil power that plagues this lands, look for it in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil…you must aid those in those grounds, and take care of the evil that plagues them…careful…for the journey is long, and dangerous…_

"You're telling me…" Link grumbled.

"Says the guy that blew the house up." Midna piped in, earning a good glare from the hero.

"Very funny…" Link turned to leave, and was about to be followed by Zelda, when a voice in her mind stopped her. While the spirit no longer stood in their presence, the hawk princess could hear its voice in her head.

"_True ruler of Hyrule…hear my voice…I know why you hide, but be wary…" _Eldin's voice told her. _"…the evil one that cursed you is not too far away…beware…and take care of yourself…I must advise you, too, to not tell the hero of your real identity…for I fear not only for your safety, but his and the strange one that hides in his shadow as well…" _Zelda gave the spring a nod, before she returned the message with her telepathy.

"_I…I shall keep my word…no harm will come to them…if I can help it…" _

"_Child…be warned…for your fate…is written in blood…but don't despair, for the hero shall save this land…and the other as well…" _Zelda bowed to the spring, before she took to the air once more, looking around, as Link walked over to the house where he had last seen the children. He had barely noticed that a door had been opened, and a group of eyes were staring at him.

"LINK!" Turning around, Link spotted Colin and the others, and gave a smile. The other kids quickly ran towards him, knocking Colin down in the process. Malo was the only one that hardly ran at all, as he was peacefully walking towards the hero. Seeing Colin in the ground, Zelda quickly landed nearby, hearing a small cry from Talo.

"Hahaha! See, Beth! I told you Link would save us!" Once Colin moved his face up, he was happy to see Zelda nearby.

"Shannon…" he whispered, earning a sad stare and a nod from Zelda, before she watched the boy quickly get up, and go to Link's side. Zelda gave a silent cry, as she saw the kids crowd near Link. Soon, three others were nearby them, the tallest of the three strangers spoke first.

"…You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" the man asked Link.

"Yep."

"We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town. And this…" Renado glanced at an older man momentarily, before his eyes fell unto the young girl next to the older man. "…my daughter, Luda." The girl, Luda, gave him a happy nod, as the older man behind her shook his head.

"And the name's Barnes…" The older man, Barnes, replied, rather rejected, and walked away from the group. Before Link could ask anything, Colin beat him to it.

"The beasts took us and left us to die...but Mr. Renado found us," he told the hero, answering his unasked question. Link gave a small thank you to Renado, who nodded.

"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province…" Renado told Link, before Colin continued his tale.

"Yeah…I…well, we…don't remember much. All of the sudden everyone was captured, and then…until now…it's been like…"

"…a nightmare." Talo finished for him, rather sadly.

"I see…" Link whispered, patting Talo and Beth's heads, kindly. Zelda, too, looked worriedly at the children. To experience such a thing at a young age…ah…the terrors she had unleashed to them…oh, why was fate harsh with her? Where her people fated to suffer under her rule?

"Yeah!" Colin went on, kneeling to pat Zelda on the head, gently. "It was like a terrible dream…and we couldn't wake up…" Renado kneeled to Colin's level, and patted his shoulder.

"Hmm…nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems." He turned to face Link, who gave him a hard nod, as if understanding what he meant. "This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships…first, those dark beasts attack, and then, the Goron tribe changed as well…"

"The Gorons?" Link asked, a bit confused.

"Yes….they had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes…even now, they refuse to permit us entry into their mines…" As Renado continued to inform Link about the problem with the Gorons, Zelda turned to face the mountain, Death Mountain to be more exact.

What Renado was saying was hard to believe, as even Zelda knew that the Gorons were peaceful by nature. When Zelda had gone to visit them or the other way around, they always treated her with kindness, and a little bit of respect, with being the ruler of Hyrule and all that. She wondered if it had something to do with that dark power that Eldin spoke about…the one that Link was collecting. Zelda looked back at Renado, who was still talking to Link.

"But…calming the Gorons is my job…so please, do not concern yourself with this…and take the children back home…"

"But, Mr. Renado!" Talo cried, cathching the attention of the two adults. "We can't just leave you here!" Renado smiled sadly at Talo.

"You must return home, children…your parents are waiting for you."

"But we can't just abandoned the people that saved us!" Talo quickly turned to Link. "Come on, Link! Couldn't you do something!" Link scratched the back of his head.

"I could…after all, I do owe Renado, here, for taking care of you…"

"Ah! Please, I don't want to involve you more than you already are…."

"No problem…in fac-" Link couldn't even continue his sentence, when a loud cry caught their ears. Zelda was up in the air, nodding at Link, before she left towards Death Mountain.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-00-0**

It had not taken Zelda long to reach the base of the mountain. She could see a Goron not too far away, standing vigilant nearby. Before she was about to fly towards the path that led deeper into the mountain, a new voice caught her by surprise. **"I wouldn't recommend you going in there, lady hawk!" **Turning around, while hovering in the air, Zelda spotted a raven not too far away, sitting on a branch of a leafless tree. **"The rock dwellers in there have become extremely violent…even to us, beasts…" **Zelda landed nearby, at the foot of the tree.

"**But, why? I have heard that the…" **Zelda quickly rephrased her words, before she spoke to the raven again. **"…rock dwellers are peaceful.."**

"**That was before…we were covered in the shadows…" **Zelda cocked her head at the raven.

"**You know?" **she could hear the raven laugh, as if he had heard a good joke.

"**Of course, I knew! When something affects the land it affects us animals,"** he told her. **"A worm knows the earth, therefore it can tell if its dying. The bird knows the sky, therefore it knows the winds are filthy. The fish knows the sea, therefore it knows the cooling of waters…and so on…" **The raven told her wisely.** "Even I could sense someone working their magic around here, and possibly it was you…and that strange beast, right?" **Zelda opened her mouth a little, but then, closed it. Unsure of what to say, she just nodded. **"Ah, I see…well, maybe I can help you…and your friend…"**

"**Help us?" **The raven nodded.

"**Yes…you see, take it as payment for returning our land back to normal…lady hawk…or should I say…what is your name…?"**

"**Shannon." **Zelda was quick to respond, receiving a nod from the other bird.

"**Alright, Shannon, then…the name's Kaepora Gaebora…" **

"**A pleasure to meet you. But, how can you aid my friend and myself?" **

"**Ah! Simple!" **Kaepora Gaebora told her, spreading his wings.** "This lands…I know them well…I travel through them…so I hear things from animals from the other parts of the land…if you wish so, I can give you information that might aid you in your quest!" **Zelda seemed intrigued by this, and gave the raven a nod. Any information they could get from Kaepora Gaebora would be helpful during Link's journey.

"**That is very helpful, thank you." **Kaepora Gaebora shook his head.

"**Think nothing of it, Shannon…ah, before I leave, you probably should tell that boy to not climb-"**

"No trespassers! OUT!"

"Hey, wait! AAAAAAHHHH!" Zelda turned back to face Link nearby, lying face down on the ground. An angry Goron looking back at him.

"I said, no trespassers!"

"**Ah…never mind…" **The raven nodded at Zelda once more, before he began to fly again, disappearing in the sky. Zelda calmly walked over to Link, who was shaking his head in pain. Link turned to face Zelda, who grabbed his part of his tunic with her beak, guiding him away from the Goron and the path to the mountain.

"I think…" Link whispered, getting up. "That this will be harder than before…" He shook his head. Zelda landed on top of the hilt of his sword, as he began to make his way towards the village.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0**

After a good talking to from Renado, Link and the shaman decided it was best to get back to Ordon, and ask Bo how to make peace with the Gorons. He was also glad to hear that Renado wouldn't mind guarding the children while he was away.

Link gave a small sigh as he made his way out towards the Kakariko Gorge, realizing that it will take him a whole day to get to Ordon. Shannon was seated calmly on the hilt of his Ordon Sword, visibly exhausted. Not like Link couldn't blame her, she after all, had turned out more helpful than he would ever think. "Hey, Midna…" Link called down to his shadow.

"What?" came the response.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just transport me back to Ordon?" he asked her.

"I can't, doggy."

"Do we sincerely have to go through the name calling again?" Link asked her, groaning. "Anyway, why not?"

"Unless there's twilight portal in the area, which there is not, I can't transport you around. If I did transport you without one, I wouldn't even be able to get you that far…and well…you might probably miss a few pieces during the trip…" He could hear her giggle. "Besides, you do need the exercise!"

"Hahaha…very fu-" Before he could say anything to Midna, a loud cry caught his ears. Shannon was already up in the air, pointing her beak impatiently to the road ahead of him. Link gasped at what he saw.

"EPONA!" Epona, Link's missing horse, was making her way towards him, two Bulblins on her back, scaring her. Seeing that the horse wasn't going to stop, Link moved out of the way, before he was trampled. The horse had managed to shake the two Bulblins off, and now, was heading her way towards the spring. Link took after her in a hurry, with Shannon following behind. She began to raise her feet up in the air, neighing in terror. Taking his chance, Link quickly jumped on her, and tried to calm her. "EASY GIRL! EASY!" Link grabbed the horse's reins, trying his best to calm her, and for Epona to not shake him off. Shannon watched worriedly from the air, crying out as well, as if trying to calm the horse.

Minutes passed, and Link was finally able to control the rampaging horse. "There, there…" Link told her, patting her neck. "Good girl…everything's alright now…" Epona neighed in response, shaking her head. Shannon, then, calmly landed on top of Link's sword hilt, sighing in relief.

"Well, what do you know?" Midna's voice called, spooking Epona a little, but still, she regained herself. "You're a good wrangler after all! Won't this make the trip back to that little village of yours a lot easier?"

**

* * *

**

As soon as Link had arrived in the village, a huge crowd of worried parents made their way to meet the green tunic wearing hero, his horse, and hawk. Link had calmed the worried crowd and told them that the children were safe and in the care of Renado, a shaman from Kakariko. Everyone had been relieved to know t hat their children were alright.

While the parents were off crying out in happiness, Uli took him aside, and thanked him for finding Colin. She, however, also gave him the sad news that Rusl had left the village to look for him and the kids. Uli assured him, though, that she'll send him a letter telling them of what happened, so he shouldn't worry about them now that they are safe. Link thanked the pregnant woman, as he made his way towards Mayor Bo's house, Shannon still sitting on the hilt of his sword. When he knocked on the mayor's home, he was given a rather good and painful huge from the occupant inside.

Mayor Bo himself was extremely tall, compared to Rusl and Fado. He also had a muscular built, and was the second strongest man in the village, after Rusl. "Link! It is good to see you! Please, come inside!" Bo didn't even bother to throw Shannon outside, as he literally forced both the hawk and the hero inside his home.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0**

Bo paced around the room, sighing sadly as Link finished talking. Shannon was sitting nearby, watching the two men talk before them, also looking a bit tad sad herself. "I'm sorry…that I couldn't find Ilia…Mayor Bo…" Bo only brushed him off.

"It's alright, Link…I guess I also need to think about all the other kids not just about my own…but, now, to the real problem…so, what you told me about the Gorons…is that true, Link?"

"Got the bruises to prove it…" Bo sighed, glancing a bit at the calm bird sitting nearby. "Renado did say that you managed to win the Gorons' trust, how's that?" The mayor scratched his head, as he turn back to face the young man.

"Well, it's true…I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust…that is with the help of a little secret…"

"A secret?" Link got up, standing up from his seat. Shannon raised her head to face the older man before Link.

"I can teach you this secret…only if you promise to not disclose it to anyone?"

"Is it…embarrassing?" Bo gave him a look. "Sorry, just asking."

"Not really an embarrassing thing, really…it's just well…" Bo trailed off, a loss of words. "…eh, never mind…it is sort of embarrassing…but, just promise me this, don't tell, okay?"

"I got ya, I won't. Don't worry, Mayor." Bo gave him a grin, and argued Link to follow him to another room. Shannon soon, followed, apparently notwanting to stay behind. Bo only laughed at her, no longer carrying that hate in his eyes, the ones that Shannon had grown so familiar with.

"So, Link…tell me, have you ever heard of sumo wrestling, boy?"

"Sumo what?"

"Nope…I guess you haven't. Well, this is going to be a long practice."

"I'm guessing I'll have more bruises, huh?"

**

* * *

**

Link sighed as he and Epona passed through Hyrule Field straight towards Kakariko without trouble. The sumo wrestling lessons had been a pain, and he could still hear the giggles from Midna haunting his mind. Shannon, herself, had been quite amused by his match against Bo, and only stared at the fight taking place. Bo even joked that Shannon was going to take up wrestling soon because she was so concentrated in their match. While Link had earned a few bruises during the fight, he also earned something extra…Bo's little secret at defeating the Gorons, that Midna had hidden who knows where.

Link rubbed his arm as Epona galloped through the field. They were nearing Kakariko, already and Link was itching to help the Gorons as fast as possible, then, to find Ilia. "Hey! Look there!" Taking his attention away from his bruised arm, Link turned to face the distance, and gasped. It was them! The group of Bulblins were back again! They were heading straight towards the village!

The hero was forced to hit Epona hard in order for them to reach the village faster. Shannon flew ahead of them, visibly worried about what the beasts could do to the children. Link felt the minutes pass by like hours, and before he could even reach the end of the village, ignoring everything around, he had seen the leader of the gang, carrying Colin and taking him away. Shannon was flying above Link and Epona, having been unsuccessful to rescue the boy. The Bulblin showed his prize to Link, before he galloped away on top of his monstrosity.


	8. Chapter 8

Fyras14: Sorry for the big delay, everyone! I got a little distracted for a while playing by Xbox that I recently got...but, now, I'm back...and unfortuantely, suffering from a small writer's block. So I will not be able to update my other stories that need to be updated. Anyway, because I made you wait so much, I will give you not only this chapter, but a second one as well! They are not that corrected like the past chapters, but they seemed okay to me when I reread them...I corrected a few things here and there...but if there are errors do correct me!

Also I took care of some parts of the dialogue, for those that remember how this chapter went!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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* * *

Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.  
_

**-Unknown**

**-Chapter 8-**

**-Sumo Troubles-**

Link's blood boiled as he chased after the evil creature, hearing the cries of the children, and the few remaining villagers after him. Shannon was crying out loud in the air, as she took after Link and Epona.

That moment, neither beast nor hero had time to waste, as they followed the troupe of Bulblins that had kidnapped Colin. Link took a deep breath, as Epona jumped over a different gate, going in the opposite direction and away from the village. The rocky lands soon disappeared to be replaced by green grass, and a horrible sight before Link's eyes. "COLIN!" Hero and Bulblin looked at each other, with an unconscious Colin tied around a large stick that the strange horned Bulblin was holding as he sat on the large boar. Link glared at the creature, as the evil one stifled a laugh, before gesturing to come closer, in a rather mischievous way. The hero took out his blade, muttering a curse under his breath.

Before he could order Epona to start walking towards the Bulblin, the same monster took out a strange horn and began blowing it. A strange and mysterious sound resonated in the air. Link was at first confused on what the Bulblin was doing, a war cry perhaps. A loud cry from above, however, forced Link to look up at his flying companion, who was looking worriedly at the field beyond them. The hero could barely keep a tight grip on his sword as he saw the group of creatures again. They had been the same creatures that had kidnapped them, and now, Link, finally knew. It was them! They were the once that kidnapped the kids and Ilia. Gulping a little, Link took after their leader who was soon making his way away from the hero.

As soon as he had began to follow the leader, his many allies began to shot flaming arrows his way. Link grimaced as an arrow barely missed his ear, but managed to glance behind him to see Shannon fearlessly knock out one of the Bulblins. He grinned despite the situation as he kicked Epona, sword up in the air, ready to slash the leader close by. The leader only glanced to face Link, only to receive a good slash on his armor. Link almost groaned. This guy had armor even in his underwear! If he wanted to save Colin he'll have to knock this guy out. The leader merely chuckled at Link's attempt, and kicked his boar to move ahead of Epona. The hero glared at the back of the Bulblin leader, as he kicked Epona again. "Hya!" Epona neighed, and galloped towards the leader.

"HEY! LOOK OUT, MR. HERO!" Hearing Midna's voice caught him by surprise, and he was able to dodge a pair of clubs that made their way towards his face. The other Bulblins had caught up to him.

Taking his attention away from the leader, Link began to hit the enemies around him with his sword. The two Bulblins quickly fell down, with two others following behind them before they could reach Link, courtesy of Shannon. "Thanks!" Link cried out, earning a nod from Shannon in the air, and hearing a yawn from Midna. _Sometimes I wonder…_Link thought as he kicked Epona once more, now, both of them were close to the leader, and his backup was nowhere in sight.

The leader cried out in surprise, as Link was now on his side, and he began to slash against the Bulblin's armor, getting a growl from the creature as the armor fell to the ground. The leader tried to punch Link in the face, but the hero was quicker and evaded the punches sent by the Bulblin. Slashing once more with his sword, the hero watched as the last piece of armor separated from his green skin. The leader almost fell from the boar that carried him, but quickly recovered kicking the boar hard, for it to go ahead of Epona. Link looked ahead of him, then, he began to notice that the green below him was disappearing, as the two riders were getting close to a bridge. The great bridge of Eldin…Link kicked Epona harder, as the Bulblin went ahead of them. "STOOOOPPPPP!" Link cried, as if the beast that held Colin hostage could understand him. The Bulblin only ignored him, as his boar broke the gate that was upon the entrance of the bridge.

Link couldn't help but glance up in the sky, to see Shannon nearby, flying just a few inches away from him and the bridge. As Link made his way towards the broken gate, he barely took time to notice that the remains of the bridge were set aflame by a nearby Bulblin archer. Before the archer could place an arrow on Link, however, Shannon tackled the beast, sending it to the pit below. Link mentally thanked Shannon, before the hero turned to stare back at the leader of the Bulblins. The other side of the gate, too, was in flames, and the leader was staring at him, on top of his monstrous boar. The boar roared a bit, before the Bulblin hit him hard, making him charge towards the hero. Link repeated the same movement, and the two were charging against each other. "I hope you know what you're doing!" His shadow cried. "That's a big risk you're taking!"

"I don't have time to think about it!" Link yelled, as he got closer to the Bulblin and Colin. Before any of the two could crash against each other, they dodged in time. Link forced Epona to turn and the cycle began again, with the Bulblin roaring his war cry. Link did manage to strike the Bulblin by the side, and the latter almost fell, but held on, bringing the stick that held Colin closer. The hero had to move quick or else the evil creature would kill Colin. Forcing Epona to turn again, and offering a small apology for pushing the horse too hard, Link and the leader of the Bulblins faced each other again. They began to go against each other, and Link took a deep breath, Shannon's shadow was nearby, watching the fight from the sky. Taking a deep breath, Link charged Epona again, sword up, ready to strike. They passed by, then, the strike came, getting the leader by surprise. He fell of the boar, and off the bridge, the stick that held Colin in tow. Link barely had time to register what was happening, before he got off of Epona, and looked down below.

Shannon, with all the strength a hawk could master, had her talons buried upon Colin's shirt, the boy had been freed from his bonds when he fell along with the leader of the Bulblins. Link sighed in relief, and took Colin away from Shannon when the hawk finally made it to the bridge, thanking her from the bottom of his heart for saving his friend.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link smiled back at the shaman, as he took Colin away from him, assuring him that he would take good care of him, along with the other kids. Just after saving Colin, Link and the two animals, with Shannon busy on top of his sword's hilt, had made their way back as soon as possible to Kakariko, to take Colin with the shaman that was to heal his injuries. Saying a small good bye to the children, and promising to return in one piece, Link and the two animals made their way towards the mountain, with Epona staying behind, as she wouldn't be able to go past the Gorons, anyway.

As soon as he was out of sight, Link took a deep breath, and took out the Iron Boots that Bo had given to him. Shannon and Midna, in the form of his shadow, watched on as he put the iron boots on top of his own. He walked around a bit, taking heavy steps and making holes on the fragile ground. "Well, they are heavy…" Link murmured as he began to climb up the ropes to get to the place where he had first met that grouchy Goron, although the climbing was rather difficult thanks to the boots. Once Link reached the top, he was greeted by a that same Goron, who was smirking, with his arms across his large chest. Shannon flew nearby, making sure to watch out for Link on the air.

"Ho!" The Goron cried, facing Link with a smug look on his face. "You are back again, eh, human? You will never pass! A weakling like you can't hope to win against the might of the Goron tribe!" Link prepared himself at what was to come up next, and stood his ground, the iron boots holding him up and straight. The Goron quickly turned into a ball, and rolled on its place, before it launched itself towards Link. Once close enough, Link grabbed the Goron, and stopped him from rolling. He could hear the yelp of surprise from the Goron, as Link began to lift him up a little, and then Link threw him down below, from where he had come from.

"You were saying?" Link yelled, as the Goron began to roll away, it seems that he had been so surprise to stop and uncurl himself. Link grinned to himself, and felt that familiar weight of Shannon's among the sword's hilt. "Well, that turned out better than before, huh?"

"Well, at least this time you weren't a complete idiot," came Midna's reply.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

The way towards Death Mountain had been very treacherous, with Gorons rolling towards Link and Shannon every two seconds of the time. At least no one got hurt, neither he nor the hawk, nor any of the Gorons that rolled his way. Link's arms ached from throwing Gorons behind him, who in turn yelped and kept on rolling, leaving Link to cross the path to their home alone.

As the travelers got closer to their goal, Link caught sight of another of those Twilight portals on the air. "What the…?" Before he could go to inspect said portal, however, Link was almost killed by a fire arrow aimed at his way. Some Bulblins were guarding the area nearby. Link was about to take out the slingshot, but then, watched with amusement as Shannon took care of all the Bulblins nearby, making them fall off the cliff from which they hid, down below to their deaths. Once the Bulblins were taken care of, Link went on to examine the portal.

"Don't worry too much about it," Midna told him from his shadow.

"Are you sure?" Link asked her, not tearing his eyes away from the portal above. "What if those creatures show up again?"

"Hmm….I doubt it. They would have down so by now…" Link only nodded, before he continued to go deeper into the path of Death Mountain, Shannon flying not too far away.

Link only groaned, when the path before him began to get a little dangerous. There were no Gorons nearby, but the gas that the ground released was enough to make him worry, not counting the pieces of flaming rocks that almost hit him. That could only mean one thing, he was getting closer to the mountain, or even better, the volcano. He had to take a few steps down, and he was damn lucky he didn't get a twisted ankle when he landed wrong. Link could hear Midna snicker at his incompetence, but he thought nothing of it. Soon, Shannon joined him down below, sitting on top of his sword's hilt once again, as they inspected the view before them. More pieces of flaming rock fell from the sky, as Link and Shannon looked down below, at the group of Gorons that guarded the place, all were grumbling, but none took notice of Link.

The hero continued to look around, and was surprised to see two Gorons on the top of a cliff looking at him. They muttered something towards each other, before one of the Gorons helped his other friend, get towards another cliff nearby, and then, that Goron rolled away. Link quickly took his chance, seeing an entrance to the mountain not too far away. Going to meet the other unfriendly Gorons, Link and Shannon had to evade pieces of burning rock, only to hear cries of surprise. Looking up, Link had barely time to dodge a huge rock of fire that almost crushed him. "Oh, oh!" cried Midna, as she came out of Link's shadow. "This sure looks dangerous…a Death Mountain welcome, perhaps? Eee hee!"

"Not the least bit funny…" Link told her, shaking some dirt off the tunic. Shannon nodded in agreement from the air, as she dodged more flaming rocks. And just then, he heard the loud cry of a Goron, who was ready to charge at Link.

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If Zelda had been in human form at that moment, she would have applauded Link's unique form to climb up the mountain, with the help of the unwilling Goron race. He had taken a few hits from the rock dwellers near the end of his trek, but managed to finally reach the entrance of their home, with some of the Gorons groaning in disbelief. Link put his weapons away, sighing in relief. Zelda took her place on top of the hilt, before the young man began to walk deep towards the mountain. "Hopefully, I won't get to meet any more…friendly Gorons…" he told her sarcastically, making her nod, as he entered the entrance.

Everything was in darkness at first, and when Link saw the light, he gasped at the many number of Gorons that stood in front of him. Zelda gave a mental gasp as well, when the Gorons curled up into a ball, and rolled in their place, ready to kill the hero. _Whatever is wrong with them? _Zelda thought as she watched them pick up dirt. _This is taking it to the extreme…_Link only gulped, as he braced himself to take the hit of the group of rolling Gorons in front of him. They began to move towards them, when a voice suddenly boomed in the room.

"ENOUGH!" The group of Gorons were quick to uncurl themselves, and looked behind them. Link and Zelda looked on to, to see the an old Goron approaching the scene.

_That was close…thank goodness…_Zelda thought, as she caught sight of the Goron that was walking towards them. He was older than the other Gorons, and had painted on his boulder skin, a different colored tattoo than what the other Gorons wore. _He must be one of the elders…_the hawk princess thought, as the Goron made his way to the center of the room, with Link and the Gorons watching him. He turned his head to face the other Gorons, before he shook his head at them. "Is this young one such an imposing enemy that you must all gang up on him? I think not, Little Brothers." The Goron turned to face Link, his face fixed in the best glare he could manage. Link challenged his stare, but said nothing. "I am a Goron elder, little human. I am called Gor Coron…" he explained, not taking his eyes of Link. "Because of certain…" Coron trailed of, making Zelda worry about his sudden pause; something was definitely wrong here. "…circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in the place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch…tell me, little human, do you come from the village below?"

"You could say that…" Link told him, exchanging glances with Zelda behind him. Coron nodded in approval, as if amazed by Link's bravery to get this far.

"You have done well to come this far…you are strong…even for a human. However…the mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed in." Coron stood silent for a couple of minutes, before he spoke again. "Unless…" Coron began, before a smile formed on his lips, surprising the man and beast before him. "I could make an exception…but you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Are you willing to try, little human?" He sent a pointed look at a nearby circle arena in the middle of the room.

"…sure…" He gave a look to Zelda, that said, 'This is going to hurt'. Link looked down at his feet, and noticed that he hadn't removed the iron boots from his feet. He probably had a chance. Link nodded back at Coron, as he prepared himself at the middle of the circle to fight against Link. Zelda dropped to the floor, and watched as Link prepared to fight, wishing him good luck, before the sumo match began, hearing a few chuckles from the Gorons nearby.

"There's no way he'll beat the elder!"

"Yep, no way!"

"He's just a weak human! He doesn't stand a chance!"

Zelda mentally laughed. _If only they knew…_She thought as the fight took place. Everything was slow at first, and then, ended, quite quickly for everyone else in the Coron only blinked once, before Link got him out of the circle, causing many other Gorons to cry out in disbelief. Even the old Goron himself found it hard to believe. He got up from the floor, and grinned at Link, who nodded, and helped him stand up.

"Young warrior…you have a strong will…and sharp eyes. And a very strong arm…" Coron chuckled as he said this, making Link smile. Zelda soon flew back to her place on the sword's hilt, to listen to whatever the elder wanted to tell Link. Coron waved his hand, asking for some privacy from the open-mouthed Gorons that stood nearby, as he took Link aside. "…you have seen it, have you not?" Coron asked him once they were out of earshot. Before Link could answer back, Coron went on. "The mountain, erupting without pause…" The elder sighed, shaking his head. "That's when all our troubles began…"

"Your troubles?" Link asked him, and the Goron nodded.

"When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders, and Darbus, our patriarch, went inside to investigate its anger." Coron explained, sighing sadly. "We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits, you see," Zelda glanced down at Link's shadow, it was moving a bit. Midna knew, then, what Coron was talking about. "We went to see if the treasure was still well, you see…but then…that's when everything turned bad. The moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure…he collapsed…and before our very eyes transformed into an unspeakable monster!"

"A monster?" Coron nodded.

"He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him…and the eruptions grew more frequent and more severe….we used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain…" Coron turned away from Link, closing his small eyes. "It…grieved us to do this to our patriarch, but we had no choice. I ask you this favor, you warrior…" Coron turned to face Link. "Go to aid our patriarch! I, Gor Coron, need your help! On behalf of my entire clan, I ask for your aid!" Link nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll help him."

"Thank you, young warrior…" Coron smiled at him for one last time, before he turned to two Gorons that guarded the way inside the mines. "…You two! Let the young one pass through!" The two Gorons glanced at each other, and calmly left their spots guarding the entrance to the mines. Coron turned towards Link, and nodded. "The mines are full of traps," he informed him, glancing a bit at Zelda as he spoke. "all placed to protect the treasure from any thieves that dare to come around here….but, when the eruptions began, foul creatures of all shapes and sizes settled into every corner of the mines…getting to our patriarch's location will not be easy, young warrior…" Coron said. "…the elders have the pieces of the key needed to enter the chamber were Darbus is located… please, look out for them…and be careful…"

"I will." As Link walked towards the mines, he heard a chuckled below his feet.

"Yeah, because you were so careful when you blew up that house, huh?" Midna whispered back. Link glared at his shadow, while Zelda sighed. This was going to be a long trip.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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The important thing about a problem is not its solution, but the strength we gain in finding the solution.  
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**-Unknown**

**-Chapter 9-**

**-Some Lavaland, Too Much Trouble-**

"This place…is very hot," Link muttered as he removed some sweat from his brow. Behind him, sitting on the hilt of the Ordon Sword, Shannon flapped her wings in order to cool not only herself but the hero as well, or at least it seemed.

"Well, what did you expect?" asked Midna from within the hero's shadow. "We are inside of a volcano, after all." Link couldn't help but nod, as he and Shannon made their way into the Goron Mines. Lava was acting as a river nearby, and even some of that dangerous liquid raised up from the lava river to hit any wondering idiot that dared to cross above its burning waters. Link gulped nervously as he saw the lava before him, for this was the first time he had seen something like this before.

Living in a place where there was no such a thing as a volcano, Link felt tempted to leave as soon as he saw the river of red water, but, then he remembered that it was he gave his word to Gor Coron to help the patriarch of the Gorons, and he wasn't about to give up now. Taking deep breath, and looking down at his feet(already free from the Iron Boots, thanks to Midna), Link took off, Shannon already in the air, following closely behind in case he needed a wing or two.

Link had to jump on many rock platforms in order to cross the lava river, and almost fell down to such a river, had not Shannon giving him a good boost by grabbing her with her talons by his tunic. "Idiot…" Midna whispered, silently. And for once, Link agreed with her, despite the insult. He really had been an idiot. Taking another deep breath, this one to make his heart stop beating, Link examined his location. Lava came out from every single direction, acting as Lake Hylia acted upon the Zora home. _Just how exactly do they manage with all this lava around? _Link thought, as he spotted a tunnel nearby. _…guess it never hurts to look…much…_

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Link never wondered how things could get bad, really fast. In fact, Link had run around this whole mine, running into all monsters of the sort, and to collect the key shards from the Goron Elders that were scattered somewhere around the mines. As of now, Link had run-ins with over twenty or so Bulblins—how the heck did they get in? The hero wondered—some strange monsters that came out from the lava to shoot balls of fire to Link, which he easily managed to avoid had he not forgotten he still carried the Ordon Shield with him, which could easily be burned to the ground. He also had met some unfriendly group of flaming bats that Shannon had easily taken care of by flapping her large wings at them to extinguish the flames they were covered in, before Link went in to attack them with his sword. He even ran into fire breathing Dodongos, who he carefully avoided, and at times, defeated with a little luck and fast feet.

However, running into monsters came with a price, and Link's green tunic had many holes on it, and some blood from his unlucky encounters with the Bulblins, and those other monsters. Shannon, too, had not been so lucky. She carried two cuts near in her chest, and some burned out feathers, courtesy of a pair of blade-wielding Bulblins and a Dodongo respectively, but other than that, she was alright (she seemed a little toughen up by all of this, but Link still had to argue to check her wounds). Traveling through the Goron Mines was certainly not a safe trip, especially when Link had to use his Iron Boots to go upside down and the sort; something neither him nor Midna, who had the bad luck of being inside of his shadow, didn't enjoy the least. During some of the most awful parts of this little dungeon, Midna had suggested that Shannon go alone for the rest of the trip. _"If we are going to go upside down in every single part of this mines," _Midna had told him. _"might as well let bird brain finish the place. We just sit back and enjoy our tan, or something…" _Of course, Link objected, and now, they were back running, fighting, and going upside down.

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Link was actually very grateful when the platform he was on, stopped turning around now that it was in place. Removing his Iron Boots quickly, with the help of Midna, he made his way quickly towards a close door. He quickly opened it, and was greeted by an old Goron, even older than Coron himself. The Goron bowed to the young man, as he made his way towards him. "Oh…Ah…the young human…I am pleased to see you make it this far, Brudda…" the old Goron told him, and Link noticed that he had trouble saying the word, 'brother'. "I am one of the four elders of the Goron tribe. I am called Gor Ebizo…" Ebizo extended a shaking hand to Link, who shook it.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Ah…it is good to see that Coron has found a worthy warrior to send to our patriarch's aid…" Ebizo turned around for a moment, before he faced Link again, this time, holding a piece of something in his hand. The hero seemed to recognize it as the shard of the key he needed to get to Darbus's chamber. "Here, take this, Brudda…" Ebizo said, giving the key shard to Link, who thanked him in kind. "Now...There is one more shard," Ebizo explained, looking at Link, as the latter put the key away, with the help of Midna. "Seeing you has reminded me of the dangers that line the path to it...There is something that may help you... A weapon said to have been left in this mine by a hero of old." The old Goron told him.

"A weapon?" Ebizo nodded.

"That weapon has no price…and so we have protected it throughout generations…of course…but, now that our tribe balances on the brink of ruin, it could aid in our salvation…"

"But, are you sure I should just take it like that?" Link asked him. Ebizo nodded.

"You have my blessings, and those of the tribe to take it, Brudda…talk to the guard that guards that sacred treasure…and take it with you…I believe having this weapon with you, will have give you the strength that you need…Please, take the hero's weapon and head deeper into the mines as quick as possible."

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Zelda didn't know who to feel more sorry for, either for the Gorons, or for Link, who having just entered a new room, was facing an all new dilemma. Another friendly Goron to take care off.

He had only taken a couple of steps into the room, before he had alerted a tall, armored Goron, far bigger than any of the other Gorons he had seen. Link and Zelda, who rested on top of the hilt of his sword, were a good distance away from the armored Goron, before he spoke, surprised by Link's presence, and ignoring Zelda completely. "Whoa…Human!" he cried, shaking his large boulder fists. "What business does a human have coming here! NONE! No business!" He cried, his voice heated by the lava below them.

"Well, I…I-" Link tried to explained, but the Goron brushed whatever he was going to say aside, and cried out,

"This is a forbidden place! I will protect this treasure from you!"

"But, I…!"

Too late. The Goron didn't hear anything else from Link, as he jumped, quite high towards the platform that Link was standing on. Both Link and Zelda were shocked by a moment, before the Goron's large body crashed against the platform. Link barely managed to keep his ground, as the platform fell to the lava river below, the chains broken by the Goron's weight. Zelda managed to yelp in surprise, and quickly left Link's side. She landed near a rocky ledge, looking worriedly back at Link, who barely managed to keep his footing on the platform, that was already being moved by the lava below. "Whoa!"

"I'm Dangoro!" The Goron cried, raising his fists in the air. "See if you can get past me!" Dangoro began to walk towards Link, causing the platform in where they were standing on move a little. Link almost lost his footing again.

"Use your boots, idiot!" Midna cried from within his shadow. At first, Link glanced curiously back at his shadow, then he noticed it. That blue surface covered all of the platform, and then, he nodded. With Midna's help, Link put on his boots, and slowly walked towards where Dangoro stood, already raising a fist to hit the coming human. Taking out his sword, and mentally asking for forgiveness, Link slashed the Goron in the stomach, whose part was free of armor. The hits hardly seemed to affect him, as Dangoro was basically made of stone.

Dangoro, on his part, groaned in frustration, and decided to try a different approach. He curled himself up into a ball, almost crushing Link in the process had not the hero rolled away. _**Oh, dear! **_Zelda cried in worry, as Link rolled away again before he was crushed by Dangoro's body. _**…please…be more careful, Link…**_The hawk princess sent a million of prayers to the gods for them to protect the hero, that with risky strength, managed to grab the large Goron with his two hands, and throw him to the side.

"AARRGGHH!" Dangoro cried, barely managing to hold himself from falling to the lava below. The Goron glared at Link, and began to charge another roll, determined to not fall for the same trick all over again. Zelda flinched when Link was hit and thrown to the ground by Dangoro, who only roared in laughter. "Take that!"

"Ouch…that hurt," Link mumbled, before he got up again. Zelda gave a cry to warn him, and the hero quickly rolled out of the way, as Dangoro made his way towards him. The Goron uncurled himself, and was ready to attack the hero again, but Link was quicker, and sent a good set of hits with his sword. Dangoro growled at this, and curled himself once more to charge and crush Link. The hero braced himself, and managed to catch the Goron on his tracks. With a swift throw, Link was able to sent the Goron down the platform, much to his shock.

The shock was short lived, however, as the Goron was sent up by the geysers in the lava, crying out in pain as the lava hit his stone body. One geyser was big enough, to send the Goron back to the platform. Link had to move out of the way before the Goron crushed him. Dangoro shook his head in pain, as the helmet he wore fell off, and looked back at Link, a tired expression on his face. "Ugh…that hurt…a lot. Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength?" Link was about to explain to him what he was doing here, when Dangoro caught him off. "Uh…are you maybe going to see the patriarch of our tribe?"

"Yes, well I was-"

"AH!" Dangoro cried, quickly standing up, and clapping both hands, a happy smile on his face. "So THAT is why you are here! In that case, you can go and take the weapon of the Hero!"

"Umm…tha-" But the talkative Goron quickly caught him off, talking once more.

"But in exchange, you must promise to help the patriarch of our tribe!" Link nodded.

"Well, I was go-"

"Wonderful!" cried Dangoro, interrupting the hero again. Link tried his best to hide a frown, for the Goron had not even let him talk one bit. Zelda laughed mentally, and wasn't the least surprised that Midna was laughing as well. "With skills like yours, even the patriarch can be brought to his senses!"

"Um….thanks for the-"

"But, I've hold you back enough as it is!" Dangoro interrupted again, causing Link to sigh. "Go on and get the legendary weapon and save our patriarch!" Link didn't even bothered to speak this time around, and quickly nodded.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Getting the legendary weapon had not been any problem at all for Link, at least, for the moment. This so-called legendary weapon had turned out to be only a bow, with a quiver nearby. Midna had actually wondered how was it that this old piece of crap—her exact words—could be considered legendary. Link couldn't argue with her, however, but he believed that it was legendary for a reason, besides, it was still in good condition to be used, even after all those years inside of that chest. The bow had proved to be very useful to Link, as he managed to defeat strange pillar like monsters that guarded the way to the last Goron Elder's room.

With a little trouble, Link managed to free himself of any foes, and get into the Goron Elder's room, with Shannon accompanying him. This Goron was very different from the others, with darker skin, and had more decorative tattoos than the previous Gorons that Link had met. The elder quickly got up from sitting position and argued Link to come in. "Ah! You are here at last!" The Goron told him, smiling brightly. "I heard that you might pay a visit, young human…I am farsighted in all things…I suppose you had some trouble coming here?" Link thought back on his battle with Dangoro, and shrugged.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, really."

"Well, that is good to hear…My name is Gor Liggs, and as you may have guessed by now, I am one of the Goron Elders. Here you go…" Liggs was quick to give Link the remainder piece of the key to open the chamber where Darbus was kept. With the help from Liggs, Link was able to complete the key. The hero examined the key calmly, before Liggs spoke again. "Use that completed key to enter the place where Darbus is held…however, I must warn you to be weary, who knows how powerful Darbus is in his new grotesque form…" Liggs shuddered, as he thought back on the past.

"Don't worry," Link quickly told him, putting the key away. "I'll help him out." Liggs gave him a grateful nod, and stared back at him as the hero and his companion hawk made their way out of the room.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Getting to the chamber that held the patriarch of the Gorons had not been a very easy task for neither Link nor Shannon. Figuring more puzzles out, Link and his hawk friend where able to enter the a room that led straight to the place where Darbus was kept. Unfortunately, many Bulblins were already guarding the place, shooting flaming arrows at Link like no tomorrow, but thanks to Shannon and surprisingly Midna, the young hero was able to come out alive from the rampage of arrows, clubs, and swords.

Link took a deep breath as he prepared to put the key in, Shannon watching on. "Hurry up, don't leave us in suspense," Midna told him, making the hero glare at her for a moment before he began to stir the key in the keyhole. At first, nothing happened, but then, the doors leading to the chamber opened, quickly releasing from their bonds to open up before the hero. Taking another deep breath, Link stepped into the new room, followed closely behind by Shannon. They were led through a dark tunnel, before they saw the light at the end. Once they got inside the chamber, the door quickly closed behind them. Link glanced back once, before he began to walk towards the rather warm chamber. He gasped at what he saw standing before him, chained.

It was a tall humanoid, with dark skin, he was held down by chains that were tied around its feet and hands. "Is…this?" Link asked, walking slowly towards the huge figure before him, with Shannon seated on the hilt of his sword, also looking at the figure before them curiously.

"…yeah. This must be that patriarch…I think…" Midna murmured. Link didn't say anything, as he approached the supposed patriarch of the Gorons. Once in front of said creature, Link examined it, it appeared to be in some sort of deep sleep, calmly breathing, in and out. As it continued to sleep, something on its forehead began to glow, catching Link's attention, as well as the hawk behind him. The light on its forehead became brighter, and brighter, until, its eyes snapped open. As soon as his red eyes were opened, it turned its attention to Link, and began to roar, scaring Shannon a little. The hero backed away a little, already getting out his sword and shield, with the hawk standing near him. The beast continued to roared, but when it noticed that it couldn't grab Link and crush him with its two hands, it began to move. Noticing its hands chained, it gave a loud roared, before fire sprouted from its body, making both Link and Shannon jump. With brute strength and fire, the creature pulled its chains and freed its arms and legs. "…he looks…radiant…" Midna murmured when the creature roared one more time to Link.

"Yeah…real radiant…" Link murmured and moved out of the way, before the creature hit him with the chain. Shannon was in the air almost immediately, trying to look for a weak spot. The creature noticed her, however, and sent a punch her way. Shannon moved out of the way before she could get hit. "Shannon! BACK OFF!" Link ordered. The hawk gave an indignant cry, but realized that Link only meant good, and flew as far away from the beast as possible.

Seeing that the bird was no longer going to disturb it, the beast quickly made turned its attention back to Link, who had his shield and sword up, tried to look for a way to hit the beast. Another roared made the room shake, and Link was hit by a chain. The hero fell face down, groaning in pain. Another loud cry filled the air, and Link quickly rolled out of the way, evading a chain that almost got him on the back. "Hey!" Midna's voice called from within his shadows. "Look! I think that bird brain found that thing's weak spot!" Looking up, Link watched as Shannon buried her beak on the strange gem that was glowing dark red, the same one that seemed to have awaken the patriarch beast in the first place. The beast cried in pain, and began to grab its head, as if dizzy. However, the beast's dizziness didn't last long, and before Link could take out his bow and arrows, the beast quickly punched the hawk, throwing her to the floor.

"Shannon!" Link cried, going over to aid his fallen friend. Before he could get any farther, however, the beast sent a chain his way, which Link easily dodged. On the ground, not too far away, Shannon shook the pain away, and took to the air again. She went towards the beast, and hit it once more in its weak spot. Link didn't waste a minute, and quickly aimed the arrow at the gem. A loud roar was heard, before the beast collapsed to its knees.

"Now, hit it!" Link raised his sword in the air, as he charged against the beast. He gave the gem good slashes, but still, it remained shining on top of its head. The beast quickly got up, almost sending Link to the air with Shannon. Having found its weak spot, Link ran around the room as far away from the beast. The beast, not having a clue of what the hero was planning, slowly made its way towards him, not taking Shannon in mind, as it had a new enemy: Link.

Taking aim with his bow, the hero calmly let the arrow fly. It missed its target the first time, and the beast was too close now for him to shoot another arrow. Link managed to evade another chain attack, but he didn't count on a second attack. Taking a deep breath, the beast nearby seem to explode, sending a parade of flames towards Link. The hero quickly took out his shield, but grimaced when he realized his stupid mistake. While the flames were in some way stopped by his Ordon Shield, Link was forced to throw it to the ground, for fear of burning his arm and some parts of his tunic. "You okay?" Midna asked him, sounding a little bit worried.

"Well, I'm still raw…" Link muttered, rolling out of the way before another chain crushed him. Running away from another chain attack, Link took his position in a far end of the room, and took aim. He looked back at Shannon, who was trying in vain to distract the monster…then, Link had an idea. "Shannon!" He cried, hoping the hawk could hear him. "Try to hit him, and then, come over here!" The hawk turned to face him, and nodded, and quickly charged towards the beast. Not bothering to pay attention to the hawk, the beast was about to hit Link again, when Shannon slammed her beak against the gem, causing a roar to emanate from said beast. The beast tried to hit Shannon while it was still dizzy, only to feel another sharp object crash against its weak spot. With another roar, the beast fell to its knees once again, and Link was up and running towards it. Another good swings from Link's sword, were enough to destroy half of the gem upon the beast's forehead.

Roaring again, the beast quickly got up, and caught Link by surprise, crashing its chain on Link's body. Link cried in pain, as he crashed against a nearby pillar. Shannon cried out in pain, too, as she was hit by a chain. She crashed nearby, and shook the pain away, and quickly flew up close to Link, but even though she was still flying, her exhaustion was evident by her slower than usual pace in flying.

The hero quickly got up, and both hawk and hero glanced at each other, and then, moved out of the way before another chain attack from the beast. Link took this as an opportunity, and quickly grabbed his bow and an arrow. A deep breath, he let the arrow fly, which hit the raging monster right on the spot. The beast tumbled a little, before another arrow got it straight in the gem, making him drop down to its knees, roaring in pain. Sword in a bloody hand, Link quickly ran towards the beast, slashing as fast as he could, before the beast could get up again. After a couple of slashes, the huge beast gave a roar, this time it was engulfed in pain. The fire that had surrounded the evil being was gone, leaving its body bare. It fell to the ground, face down, and then, its skin began to break, along with the red gem on its forehead. Touching its head in pain, the beast let out a loud roar, that forced Link to back away. Then, his sight was blinding by a red light.

Link covered his eyes as he moved away, and then, he took a peek at what was happening to the creature. Still roaring in pain, the creature only looked at Link once before something on top of its head blew up. His whole body turn darker in color, and then, its skin was ripping away from its body. The dark skin broke into a million of shadow particles, and the creature grew smaller in size, the dark skin became lighter, and on the beast's place stood a large Goron, a bit similar in size to Dangoro. Looking up at the particles of darkness that floated in the air, Link watched on in amazement as they decided to come together, and the hero braced himself, as if expecting a new fight to take place. Instead, the particles form a rather familiar object. "…a fused shadow…" Link breathed. From his shadow, Midna quickly appeared, grabbing the Fused Shadow with her strange hair.

"Eee hee hee! Well done!" Midna told him, giving him a grin. "Now we have two of them…"

"Lucky us," Link murmured as he looked worriedly at the fallen Goron before him. Shannon was nearby, examining the unconscious Goron, only glancing at Link once or twice as he and Midna spoke.

"Hmm…I wouldn't worry too much about him," Midna suddenly called, catching Link's attention. "He's just knocked out, no big deal."

"So…now you have a second Fused Shadow, right? So, what are they?"

"Well, maybe I'll tell you, you have been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story." She turned to face Shannon, the hawk was still looking worriedly at the Goron. "Zant." She told him, catching not only the hero, but Shannon's attention as well.

"Zant? Who's that?" Midna turned to face him, a frown on her face.

"That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world. And he's the one that killed your princess, too." Link only gaped at her. So, this Zant person…he killed the princess, and began to cause trouble and turn his life upside down…that Zant. "He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current state…but, he would never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength…"

"So, you hate this guy?" Link asked her, and Midna barely shrugged.

"Depends on your point of view…now, let's get out of here, before he," she pointed a small finger at the unconscious Goron nearby. "decides to wake up and be _friendly_." Link nodded, and called Shannon to him. The hawk looked back at the Goron for one final time, before she went over to Link's side, Midna already hidden within the hero's shadow.

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Zelda sighed in relief when she and Link were out of the mines. The hawk princess could feel everything in her body ache, but at least, she knew why Link and Midna looked all over the place for this Fused Shadows, evil artifacts capable of corrupting even the purest of hearts. And…they thought the princess was dead! Just how much did this imp knew, anyway…Zelda didn't know why, but she began to think that Midna knew more than she led on, but that she was a good person at heart, even if she criticized Link and the hawk princess once in a while. But still…she found it quite odd. If Zant was her supposed ruler—not by her choice, however—then that meant that Midna was one of those shadows. Her intentions, whether pure or not, were still debatable. Zelda only hoped her thoughts of Midna held truth.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

After receiving a warm thank you from the Gorons, with Dangoro interrupting Link three or four times, Gor Coron and the other elders decided to open their arms to Kakariko, and were shocked to find what it had happened to their village while they were hold up with their own problems. Coron gave Link his word that the Gorons would protect the village on his name, and wished him good luck on his journey.

Now, both man and beast, were walking slowly back to the village, with Link rubbing his bruised arms. Zelda rested upon the hilt of his sword, also trying to relieve herself of the pain she felt upon her wings and chest. Getting hit by a chain wasn't exactly nice. "Well, I suppose we better go ask that spirit where the next Fused Shadow is," Midna told Link from within his shadow.

"Alright then…man…that guy…he was rough!"

"Rough and bothersome," the imp told him. "At least we don't have to worry about him, anymore…the mountain is okay, and we are on our way. Although, I would suggest you get yourself a new shield, or something to defend yourself with…you know, after that guy burned out your shield and all…"

"…don't remind me…my arm still hurts…"

"Yep. You must still be raw, then! Hee hee!" Zelda mentally smiled, as Link and Midna continued on with their little argument. She then sighed, looking down at the ground, guilt overriding her once more. If only she had…

"**Hoy! Shannon!" **The hawk princess suddenly looked up, and spotted the familiar raven flying towards her. Kaepora Gaebora landed nearby, nodding his head at Zelda.

"**Kaepora!" **Zelda quickly went to greet the raven, leaving her place upon the hilt. Link glanced behind him, and scratched himself in the back of the head, as he saw his hawk and a raven together.

"Hmm?" Zelda and the raven paid him no mind, however, and Midna told Link that she was probably exchanging bird tips or something.

"**It's good to see you around, lady hawk!" **Kaepora Gaebora told her, spreading his wings. **"It would seem the mountain no longer spits fire, and the air is finally clean of evil…you and that warrior did a good job!" **

"**It was actually Link that did most of the work," **Zelda admitted shyly. Kaepora Gaebora shook his head, chuckling.

"**Really, then…well, I have some sad news for you, I fear…" **The raven told her, glancing up to see Link staring back at them, an eyebrow raised.

"**Sad news?" **

"**Yes…it seems that the sea is now plagued by evil…" **

"**The sea? Do you mean…Lake Hylia, the home of the…water people?" **Kaepora Gaebora nodded.

"**Yes. It would appear that the water is cooling…the lake is dying…" **

"**Dying? But…how?" **

"**I cannot tell you, however…evil plagues that land, and harsh winds touch the air. It is not stench like the one that circled around the rock dwellers home…it is different…even I cannot tell you, for I can no longer enter its home…" **Zelda seemed to understand what the raven meant, and nodded. **"Be wary, little hawk…and I hope the warrior can help the people of the water…for something…something strange is killing the waters…a bitter wind blows from their home… " **Zelda nodded once more, and then, turned to face Link, who was waiting patiently for her to finish her conversation.

"**I will heed your advice, thank you!" **she called back.

"**Think nothing of it." **Kaepora Gaebora told her, and then, winked before he took off in the air. Zelda turned to face Link, who was looking at her oddly.

"…so, anything interesting you wanna talk about?"

"…**that would be a little tad difficult to explain, Link…" **

_Especially…when I can hardly communicate with you myself…_

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link calmly walked towards the village, looking around for any shop, if there was any, to buy himself a new shield. He still was a bit far away from the spring, and Midna herself wasn't in such a hurry, but still, he fasten his pace. Shannon was resting on his sword's hilt, with her eyes closed, as if sleeping. The hero actually was wondering what she and that raven had been talking about, but he realized he would have to wait until he had a tail and fur again to question her. From what he had seen, their conversation seemed quite serious.

He finally spotted a nearby shop, and went to knock on the door, seeing if anyone was there. "Enter…" came a rather familiar voice. Link at first, puzzled, almost hesitated to open the door, but then, he remembered he needed the shield to survive, so he went in. What greeted him was a rather small child, the younger brother of Talo…Malo.

"MALO?" Link cried out in disbelief. Malo barley shrugged, and wave a small hand.

"Hey…" he told him, glancing a little at the group of merchandise nearby a table. In the middle of that merchandise, there was a shield. Malo noticed Link looking at the shield, and glared back at him. "You can look at stuff, but don't you DARE just take things…that's my valuable merchandise."

"Yours?" the hero asked the small boy. Malo only ignored the question.

"You want it, you pay for it…I decided to take this unnamed shop…buy something…it helps this whole village if you do…"

"Oh…I see…" Link said, understanding, although still he found it odd that such a young kid was running a shop. He quickly pointed at the metal shield lying nearby. "I want that shield, please…" Malo looked at the shield, and then back at the hero.

"Hylian Shield…two-hundred rupees…"

"TWO-HUNDRED RUPEES?" Link cried in disbelief, waking the small hawk on top of the hilt. The bird blinked a bit, before she looked lazily back at the young boy. Malo barely took noticed, and shrugged.

"Yeah, take it or leave it."

"….can you at least…give me some sort of discount? You know, as friends?" Malo shook his head.

"Nope." Link stood silent for a while, before he glared at the kid before him.

"…You're the worst."

"Yeah, I know. Now, take it or leave it."


	10. Chapter 10

Fyras14: I really should keep up with my goal...but, man, is it hard...sorry guys for making you wait on this update...took quite a while, sorry. I had a small bout of writer's block while i was working on some other stories and well, this skipped my mind altogether, especially with university coming back to bite me.

I'm already working on the next chapter, but like I said, I will only look for errors in the chapter, add some things up, and erase others, but dont worry...I will definately finish this story by this year!...or the next.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

_

* * *

When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares._

**-Henri Nouwen**

**-Chapter 10-**

**-Old Friends Never Forget-**

Link grumbled as he made his way out of Malo's shop, with a new Hylian Shield on his back, walking towards the spring. That little Malo…what a kid. The little brat had basically stolen his rupees, almost all of the rupees that he had managed to gather on the mines, and on that Forest Temple. Now, he was basically poor all over again, and Midna was making fun of him from his shadow. "That kid got you good! Hahahaha!"

"I don't wanna talk about it…" Link grumbled, while Shannon behind him shook her head, as if feeling sorry for him…although, she was shaking a bit. Laughing, maybe, Link didn't even want to think about it.

"Hahahaha! Mr. Hero done in by a little kid!"

"Midna…" Link warned. His shadow only waved its hand.

"Okay, okay, no harm done! Anyway, here we are, Mr. Hero!" Link stopped looking at his shadow when he noticed that the imp was right. They were back in front of the spring of Eldin. Before long, Link heard the voice of the great spirit calling out for him. _You have done a good job in freeing the Gorons of their plight…but, do not believe this is over…_Eldin told them, from deep within the spring. _Evil still plagues this land, and you are far from cleansing it…_Link nodded, somehow he was expecting this, not that he expected anything easy. _Now, heed my words, Heroic Link…_the spirit whispered. _North of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanaryu…you shall find the one that you seek…_At that, both Link's and Shannon's eyes widen.

"….Ilia…?" Link managed to whisper, turning to glance down at Shannon, who only looked down to the floor, not wanting to meet his face. Both man and beast stood silent for the longest time, before a small squeak got their attention. Turning around, both gasped as they saw a young Colin, bandaged from head to toe, behind them, Renado and the kids. "Colin…" Link whispered, and the boy only smiled at him, as he slowly walked up towards him. The hero was a bit alarmed, but after seeing the smiling face of Renado and Luda, he knew he had nothing to fear. Shannon, too, began to walk towards the young boy, and squeaked in surprise when he fell to his knees, too tired to walk. Link quickly went to the boy's aid, who managed a thank you, before he looked back at the blue eyes of the hero.

"Link…" The young boy said, his words almost a whisper. "Ilia…" Link looked at him, eyes carrying worry. "You've got to save Ilia!" Colin cried, making Link frown a bit. _He´s straining his body too much…_he thought, but said nothing as the boy, still kneeling in the floor, went on with his small tale. "Those monsters…left me and the others…but they have taken her somewhere else!" Colin took a long deep breath, and continued, glancing to his side to see the hawk, who only stood firm, watching him, as if saying, 'Go on, you can do it.' The young boy smiled at the hawk, who only returned the greeting with a nod. Colin turned to face Link again, who still had that worried frown on his face. "Whe-whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold in,"

"Colin…"

"Link…" Colin calmly got up, flinching a bit, as the hero kneeled now before him. The boy looked down at him and gave him a small smile. "See? I…I'm fine now." Colin quickly flinched as he said that, making Link shake his head.

"Colin, listen I-"

"Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?" Colin suddenly asked, interrupting whatever the hero was going to say.

"Yeah," the young man before him told him, grinning a bit. Shannon nodded a bit, as if proud of the young boy nearby. A boy who was hurt and in pain, was here now, keeping his head up and enduring it all as he went on talking.

"When I grow up, I'm going to be just like you, Link!" Colin cried, grinning. "So you don't have to worry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!" Link smiled sadly at the young boy, before he got up. He patted the boy's blonde hair, and turned to face Renado, who much to Link's amazement was accompanied with an indifferent Barnes.

"Leave the children to me." The shaman told the younger man, patting Colin's shoulder, in returned the boy grinned back at him. "I will watch over them, I swear it."

"I…I really don't know what to say, Renado…you are too kind." Link told him, shaking the shaman's hand.

"Do not let their fates trouble you," Renado advised, watching as the hawk made her nest back on top of the hilt of the sword. "Go to those who need you." Link nodded, removing his hand from his. Renado, then, turned to face Barnes, who had a small bag on his hands. "And, before you leave, Barnes here, has a gift for you," he grabbed the bag from a frowning Barnes and gave it to Link. The hero balanced it in his hand, before he turned to face the shaman and bomb maker, a look of confusion on his face.

"And this?"

"Bombs." Barnes said, simply. Shannon, too, took a peek at the bag, and then turned to the ground, as if finding something interested in it. "They're yours…used them as you will." Link was baffled for a couple of seconds, before he spoke up.

"Really?" Renado gave the hero a nod.

"Use them, Link…your journey might be long, and those bombs may help you more than you think."

"I see," Link turned to face Barnes, who was with both arms across his chest. "Thank you, Barnes…"

"It's not like I wanted to give them to you, really," the bomb maker told him, frankly. "in fact, it was Renado that forced me to give them to you." Link turned to the shaman, who merely shrugged. The hero stifled a chuckle, before he nodded. He turned to the kids, and gave them all a small good bye. For Malo, he and Link exchanged glares, before they said good-bye. Colin, Talo, Beth, and even Luda, were given a nice good-bye hug, before the children waved as Link was leaving, accompanied by Renado, and some Gorons that had began to fill the town. Barnes only grumbled as the hero left.

Link was making his way back to Epona, who was already grassing in the outskirts of the village, apparently she had been bored on waiting for his master and the little hawk upon his hilt. The hero still had the bomb bag on his hands, and before he could place them somewhere safe around the horse, they disappeared, causing Link to jump in surprise. He glared back at his shadow, and hissed, "MIDNA!"

"What? I was just keeping them safe for you in case you had…more accidents. You know, house that exploded…Kaboom? Does that ring a bell?" Link only glared at his shadow, and got on top of Epona, glancing back at the village for the last time, before the mare galloped away, with her master, a hawk, and a laughing shadow.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

A couple of hours away from the village, Link and the animals already faced a problem. Rain. Rain that came as suddenly as the black veil that covered half of the kingdom. Link didn't mind rain, really, well, at least before it began to bother his eyes and hair, the latter because it covered his eyes, and the first, because the latter did little work on removing itself from his face, no matter how many times Link shook it off. The two animals, on the other hand, were not exactly bothered by it. Shannon barely flinched when the rain fell upon her, but she didn't seem to really like it, shaking her wings a bit to get rid of the water, but after realizing it wouldn't make much of a difference, she stopped her little ritual, and unlike Link, accepted the fact that the rain was going to bother her, no matter what she did. Epona, however, didn't mind the joy of rain.

And so, the rain continued as the hero and the beasts made their way towards the bridge of Eldin. Epona galloped fast, not carrying for the rain that attacked her master and bird friend. Link shook his head, trying to get the wet feeling off of his head. It was after they left the bridge, that Shannon finally gave cry, catching not only Link's attention, but Midna's as well. "What is it, bird brain?" the imp asked her, visibly confused. Link turned to face his hawk friend, but his sight fell on something far away from his hawk friend, and on top of the bridge of Eldin. A twilight portal stood above a part of the bridge, and soon, a strange black thunder struck, sending sparks all over the small part of the bridge. That part cracked a bit, and then, turned black, and it formed into many little particles, that went straight towards the portal above. It then disappeared.

"…what in the world!" Link cried, turning Epona around so he could see the damage. Midna, too, inspected the damage and grumbled.

"…that is just wonderful," she muttered, quickly getting out of his shadow. "Look, I don't know what those guys back home did to your bridge, but we don't have time to worry about this…"

"But-but, why did they do it?" Midna shrugged.

"Beats me…as long as I'm concerned, there's nothing of importance—at least not for me—back there. Who knows, really?" Midna gave one last shrug, before she disappeared into his shadow again. Link and the hawk upon his hilt looked back at the missing portion of the bridge, before Epona galloped away, straight towards a rocky passage.

The passage went on for about an hour or so, crossing a bridge, and outrunning some Bulblins on the way, that Link finally reached his destination. The large black wall stood firmly like a gate, preventing anyone from entering. Link quickly got off of Epona, who was a bit confused on why her master and her hawk friend were leaving. Before Link could do anything, however, Shannon landed in front of Epona, and after a good deal of neighs and cries, the horse nodded, and lay not too far away from them. Link turned to face Shannon, and asked, "What you tell her?" Shannon only pointed her beak towards the black wall, and Link gave her a mocking scowl. Even without talking he pretty much understood what she meant, 'Get fur, paws, and a tail, and perhaps I'll tell you'. He calmly began to walk towards the wall, when suddenly, his shadow sprout from underneath his feet. Midna let out a small sigh.

"Ah, we are here, finally, and there's only one fused shadow, left," she informed the hero and the hawk. The little imp turned to face the wall, and shrugged. "…so, this is the last of the Twilight you'll see, I guess…" Link and Shannon gave the imp a confused look.

"You guess?" Midna ignored the question.

"You ask a little too much, don't you think? Now, do you two," she pointed a finger first at Link, then at Shannon. "want to go into the twilight?" A nod came from two heads. "Alright then, I guess I'll have to help you! Ah, but what a shame that this is the last of the twilight…" Link gave her a look, which she ignored, as she made her way towards the black wall. "I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world…"

"Ha, well, I beg to differ." Link told her, folding his arms across his chest. Shannon didn't react, however.

"Hehehee…well, we don't know for sure if this is the last you'll see if it, anyway! So, let's go!" Before Link could question her some more, Midna went straight towards the black wall, disappearing for a couple of seconds. Next thing they knew, two giant arms grabbed both hero and hawk.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

If there was one thing Zelda never could get used to, was when Midna dragged both herself and Link into the Twilight. During the journey, while she had grown close to Link—actually that had been before they even were stuck in this journey—the rather strange Midna, however, had been a friend. Of course, even she had trouble defining friend and nuisance from time to time, but the hawk princess knew that the imp only meant well, of course, in a freaky sort of way. In a way, even without the use of the triforce of wisdom within her, Zelda could see that she, just like Link, wanted to get rid of the Twilight from this world, and defeat this Zant. Yet, Zelda had this nagging feeling that Midna was much more than she appeared to be.

Shaking her feathered body, the princess looked around, and quickly spotted Link with Midna on top of him. They seemed to be talking about something, and the wolf, when he noticed Zelda, walked up to her. **"Hey, Shannon," **he said, earning a nod in return. **"Anything interesting you wanna talk about, considering we now are on…what Midna calls, 'on the same terms'?" **Zelda gave him a nod. She was planning to inform him anyway.

"**Well, yes, something really interesting, actually…have you ever heard of Lake Hylia?" **

"**Yeah, why?" **

"**According a friend of mine, there seems to be trouble there," **Link's ears perked up.

"**Really?" **He glanced back at Midna, who seemed a little interested in the conversation, but said nothing, only giving them glances, but not arguing to make them shut up and get going. **"Hmm…you don't think those shadow beasts are causing trouble, do you?" **Zelda took a deep breath before she went on again. Goddesses, she hated to lie to Link, even if she had been asked to do so by the spirits. It felt like she was betraying his trust somehow.

"**I would not know…my friend said that he could not enter the area." **The wolf was silent for a moment, before he spoke up.

"**Was that friend of yours the raven I saw you talking with after we left the mines?" **A nod. **"I see…well, you think you can thank him for me, as…well, I assume this will be the last time I have a tail and fur." **

"**Sure, I'll pass on the message." **Link gave her a nod, that in his way, was a smile, at least that's what Zelda hoped. He was so dreamy when he smiled…so beautiful when he looked so determine and ready to fight everything in the world…so…wait, what was she thinking? Zelda had to mentally slap herself from thinking out loud, or else. Her powers were still a little mixed up by the transformation, and she feared she might pass on the message with telepathy to the last person she wanted to tell. It was odd the fact that an animal was falling in love with her master…true, an animal, that was odd…but, was it so odd when the one falling in love was the princess and not the beast that held her down?

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-00-0**

It had not taken long for Zelda to follow the wolf through the air, inspecting the skies for any sign of enemies from above. When she found no within a mile or so, she flew low to be next to Link and Midna. **"No nice welcome to greet us?" **the wolf asked her, and Zelda nodded. **"Well, that's great. I still got the bruises from that Darbus guy on my person…" **He let a whine escape him, before he turned to face Zelda. **"And how about you, Shannon? Are you well?" **Zelda felt like blushing…ah, those blue eyes…why did they tempt her so?

"**I-I am quite alright, rea-really…" **the hawk princess stammered, mentally calling herself an idiot for losing composure. _**Idiot! Idiot!**_ Link didn't seem to notice, though, but still went on to ask.

"**Are you sure?" **

"**Yes, yes! No problem, there, really!" **Link cocked an eyebrow at her strange behavior, but said nothing. As if thinking that she was lying in order to not worry him. While it was true that neither Link nor Zelda rested, well, the hawk princess had actually taken a snooze during their small trek back towards Kakariko from the mines, neither had cleaned their injuries. The rain had taken care of that. Zelda had thought of using her healing magic on herself and Link, but realized that she couldn't perform that simple feat. Her strength, on the other hand, had returned to her, that normal human strength she used to have, during the fight with the leader of the Bulblin gang when they went to save Colin. She had thanked the Goddesses for returning her human strength for who knows what would have happened to herself and the young boy had she never recovered it. Fortunately for both of them, it seems that both their animal bodies were pretty resistant. Another gift of the gods, perhaps?

"…**I see…but are you-" **Midna quickly interrupted him, by pocking his head hard. The wolf turned to growl at her, but found her pointing at something not too far away.

"Hey! Look over there!" Link and Zelda looked over to where Midna was pointed. The hawk princess, who was hovering above ground, quickly flew towards the certain something that Midna had pointed at.

"**Hey! Link, come and see this!" **The hawk princess cried, glad to shift the conversation to another thing other than her well being…why did he have to be so cute, anyway? The wolf quickly walked up to her and examined the object. He then gave a loud gasp, eyes wide.

"**Th-that…that is Ilia's bag!" **Zelda looked back at him, worry as much as he was. If her bag was here, one could only expect the worst, at least she was trying to expect the better.

"**Truly?" **

"**YES! She was always carrying this bag around with her, she always had dried fruit to give to the animals…" **Link gave a loud whine, recalling old times he wouldn't likely see again. Zelda gave him a sympathetic look, although she felt the pain inside. It was her fault after all, that all of this was happening…hers and only hers. Had she done a better job as a ruler, no one, not Link, not Colin, not Ilia, nor anyone else would be suffering from this awful fate. How she hated herself. It was her fault and hers alone, and she knew it. This was only made worse because she was forced to hide that fact from someone she cared for, and for someone she vaguely considered a friend. Her elders always said that talking about the problem made the bruise hurt a little less, but even if she could talk to Link about it, she doubt the bruise would heal fast. She was the one that lost her kingdom, after all…

As she was thinking about her problems, Link was quick to smell for any smell that remained from the small bag. He almost jumped in happiness, catching Zelda and Midna's attention. Midna seemed to smirk at this. "So, you can smell that girl, right?" The wolf nodded. "…hmm…really, but this scent could be quite old…I wonder if she is alright? Eee hee!" Link growled in frustration, and before he and Midna could fire a barrage of insults against each other, Zelda interrupted.

"**Link, please…you know that she is only teasing you," **Zelda told him kindly.

"**I know, but," **Link growled at Midna, who only grinned.

"Now, now, doggy…listen to bird brain here once in a while, you might learn something…well, you might not know how to fly, but still, you'll manage something close." Link was about to jump on her, when he noticed Zelda's stern look, he sighed.

"…**fine, fine…come on, Shannon, let's go find Ilia." **

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Following Ilia's scent had not been too much trouble for Link, of course, the enemies, on the other hand, offered little satisfaction during the journey. While Zelda took care of them from the air, Link took care of the enemies, with a little help from Midna, from below. Soon, they were out of the rocky passage, to face the large green, well, once green pasture. Zelda looked up at her castle in the distance, her eyes ready to swell in tears, that is if hawks were capable of crying. "Well, well, it seems we are back again!" Zelda shot her a questioning look, that Link noticed and began to explain.

"**Well…the first time I turned into a wolf, well…some of those guys wanted to make me a guest in the castle…but, by guest I mean, by force. They chained me up, Midna found me got me out, and here I am." **Zelda suddenly turn to face the ground, saying a small, 'I see,' to Link, before she took the air again, and the wolf began to follow the scent again. Great, now she even felt worse. It was her fault this happen to him, too…why! Oh, why did this things happened to her?

"Only a little farther," Midna told them, making the two animals glance at her. "so hang in there! Or so I'd like to say, but…the going's a lot harder from here on out!" She explained, smiling a bit. She seemed to be obviously teasing them, but Link didn't really care, chasing the scent of his old friend, and running into some enemies in the process, which were easily ignored or dispatched by both hawk and wolf.

It had taken at least an hour for the two beasts to finally reach the bridge that led to the small town near the castle. Both Link and Zelda exchanged a look. Ilia was somewhere around here, and they didn't waste any time to look for her as they crossed the bridge.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Link almost gasped at the sight of the many orbs that decorated the streets of the small town. Shannon, too, seemed surprised by the sight. **"What…what happened here!" **she asked, almost alarmed of the state the town was in.

"**They just turned into spirits, Shannon…" **Link told the hawk, reminding himself that it was the first time that she had seen the effects on the Twilight on normal people…well, at least people that weren't protected by some sort of power. **"They technically can't see us, but we can hear them…so, it really isn't that bad…I think…" **Shannon was quiet for a few moments, before she took off into the air, not wanting to say more, which Link found odd. Maybe she was worried…it wasn't like it was her fault this had happened.

Using his senses once more, Link quickly found out that no one in the town was the least worried. Of course, there were comments about the fire they had seen nearby the castle, and something about Lake Hylia, how it had been dry and stuff. Could this be what that raven was talking about? Link really couldn't tell, as he sniffed the ground to look for Ilia. "Whoa," Midna muttered from on top of him, causing him to glance up. "…this people are not even worried about what happened to their poor princess, are they?" Link only growled. _**Yeah, because they figure that she's dead by now. **_"Too bad, really…no one to mourn for that poor princess…but, well, you might mourn for her after all of this is done." Midna told him sympathetically, much to Link's amazement. The wolf didn't delve too much on it, as Ilia's scent became stronger than before. At first, Link thought that the scent went towards a building, however, it quickly came out of the building and turned away, much to Link's confusion. Had she been here before and then left?

Shannon from the air, watched him curiously. **"Have you found her?" **

"**No…this scent has me going in circles…well, at least I found one I can follow without problems…" **He began to sniff the ground again, and followed the scent away from the building, with Shannon not too far behind. Link soon, entered an alley, avoiding the spirits of people that polluted the place. He had taken more turns now, forcing Shannon to fly low, yet she didn't complain. Finally, he was met with another alley, with a door not too far behind. **"She must be inside…" **Link whispered, walking towards the open door, with Shannon walking behind him.

What greeted him was not a warm welcome, as he had expected, but a worried girl and older woman, looking at a small young Zoran boy that had difficulty breathing not too far away. Shannon went towards the Zoran boy's side, and inspected him first and then Ilia and the woman. **"She's alright…yet," **the hawk looked down again. **"he…appears to be giving up…"** Link got a little closer to see if he could hear anything interesting from Ilia and the older redhead woman nearby, also looking worriedly at the dying Zoran child. He almost flinched when he saw the bloody part where the arrow once was, he noticed that she had been bandaged.

"_**This boy…can't you help him?" **_Ilia asked the woman frantically. The woman, on her part, held her down by the shoulders to keep her sitting down.

"_**All right, little lady," **_the redhead cried. _**"try to settle down, okay? I just sent for the doctor! But…"**_ She turned to stare at the Zora nearby. _**"this is strange…a child of the Zoras…I wonder if this is at all related to the incident the soldiers were talking about in back…" **_Link and Shannon exchanged a look, before Midna gave a giggle.

"Aw, what an emotional reuninon! Yes, a girl and her wolf! Eee hee!" Link growled at her, and she just brushed it aside. "Sorry, but you know how it goes! These folks can't see you guys, either…eee hee hee!" Link was quick to turn to Shannon, mouthing, 'Can I bite her head off, please?' Shannon only shook her head, as she turned to face Ilia and the redhead, before another voice caught her attention.

"_**Look, we have to check out what is going on in Lake Hylia, men! People have been complaining of not being able to visit the spirit, and now, we have an injured Zora child, dying! We must do something!"**_ Both wolf and hawk began to walk towards a small table nearby. Four armored men were gathered around the table, all carrying lances and helmets.

"_**Look, Shiro," **_came a large armored man. _**"you know we can't go around doing things if the captain doesn't say otherwise…"**_

"_**HA!" **_Came the first voice that both Shannon and Link had heard. It belonged to a younger man, but he was taller than the three soldiers before him. He also was covered in armor from head to toe. _**"And do you mind telling me where our captain is? He isn't around here! He isn't worrying about this like we are! In fact, he seems to have disappeared from Castle Town entirely!" **_

"_**Ah, come now, Shiro…" **_came another armored man, shaking his head at this Shiro person. _**"Lake Hylia is the Zoras' concern…not ours."**_

"_**You are just avoiding the problem!"**_

"_**Like you are! I don't see you doing anything productive!" **_Shiro seemed to glare from underneath his helmet.

"_**Ah, and who was it that dragged those two nearby, when none of you wouldn't?" **_Shiro asked them, pointing back at Ilia and the Zora boy. _**"And you tell me I'm not productive! I simply ask for help to see what is wrong in Lake Hylia! Is that too much to ask!"**_

"_**We are suppose to be staying here, anyway…." **_A soldier whispered.

"_**The princess would never forgive us leaving behind our allies to their fates!"**_

"_**But she isn't here, Shiro! She can't say anything about that!"**_

"_**Come on, let's just put this for another day…" **_Link suddenly turned away, shaking his head. The armored men, minus one, were pretty cowardly, it seemed. Wanting to avoid the trouble to even go and help the people, what a group.

"Well, it seems we now know where to go," Midna said after a while of listening to the arguing men. "to Lake Hylia it is." Link and Shannon shot one last look at their friend, before they left the place.


	11. Chapter 11

Fyras14: Didnt take long for this chapter! Good for me! Well...actually i was working on this chapter during school just after I finished the last one, but I was only half way...I just finished after an hour of working...phew...some might remember this chapter from the original...it had something missing, but dont worry, I made sure that didnt happen this time around.

Enjoy!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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Water has no taste, no color, no odor; it cannot be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself. It fills us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses._

**-Antoine De Saint-Exupery**** (1900-1944),** _Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939_

**Chapter 11: A Serenade of Water**

Zelda was quick to guide Link towards Lake Hylia, with Midna muttering something between the lines, 'What a useful bird brain, eh, doggy?' or 'She's actually good for something!' Of course, most of this lines were met with growls, snarls, cries, and glares, which were visibly ignored by the little imp. _**Well, at least she isn't as insulting as before…**_Zelda thought quietly, as she and Link evaded a group of twilight affected Bulblins, or at least that is what the hawk princess thought. They did look familiar, though.

Looking up in the distance, Zelda sighed. The great bridge of Hylia lay not too far away. She turned her head down at the running wolf below her. **"We are not too far away, now, Link!" **She called, catching the attention of both the hero and imp. **"Just a little more!" **Link took a while to respond, much to the hawk princess's worry.

"**Yeah, thanks!" **Zelda, however, noticed that he hadn't said it with the enthusiasm of really meaning it. _**It must be Ilia…**_the hawk princess thought, a little bitter. Why she was being like that all of the sudden, Zelda didn't know. Could it be that her feelings for Link were more than just platonic? Sure, this man-turned-wolf had saved her life, taken care of her, was being nice, treating her with the respect any human deserved, but, yet why was she being so protective of him all of the sudden? She hated herself even more for thinking sourly about Ilia and Link being together, and tried to focus on the task at hand. Well, by trying she meant, 'Blocking all emotions out, even if it hurts'.

The hawk princess decided to fly up ahead, giving Link some privacy, however, what she saw made her gasp. Suddenly Kaepora Gaebora's words came to mind. The lake was no longer even a lake, but a puddle, leaving most of the area unmasked. That small puddle hardly looked like Lake Hylia, but, then, Zelda realized that it probably had something to do with the evil that plagued this lands. Yes, that must be it. Only evil. _**Yes…evil that you failed to stop, **_Zelda thought angrily. She turned around in the air, and spotted Link and Midna already making their way slowly on top of the bridge.

No one noticed, however, that something else was watching them from the distance.

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When Link arrived at the bridge, something was strange. Something was off suddenly, his senses almost driving him crazy. He began to walk to the other side, watching strange stains upon the stones of the bridge. The wolf quickly moved to sniff them, only for seconds later to jerked his nose away. That smell, it was strong, and sour. Midna seemed to have noticed the sour smell, too, for she covered her nose with a hand. "…Hey, do you smell anything funny around here?" she asked him. Link nodded and pointed his nos—

"**WATCH OUT!" **It was already too late when Link heard the warning, as a Twilight Bulblin sent a fire arrow to the ground. Link's eyes widen in fear as fire soon engulfed the area in front of him.

"Move it, Link!" Midna cried desperately, pulling the wolf's hair for him to turn around. The archer behind them was ready to shot another arrow, when a cry caught everyone's ears. Link stopped running, and both him and the imp turned around.

Shannon was flying quickly towards the archer, who noticing her, barely had time to grab another arrow, as she tackled him to the ground. Before she could get to the air again, however, the fallen archer grabbed her by the talons. The hawk screeched and flapped her wings in desperation, with all of her strength, she went to the sky, carrying with her the archer, who let go of her talons to fall on the ground below, probably to his death. Shannon shook her head in the air. **"Shannon!" **

"Another archer!" Midna cried, making Link turned towards the other side of the bridge. A fire arrow fell to the ground, torching the black stains on the stone, and creating a firewall that left Link trapped in the bridge. "Oh no! We're trapped! Quick, get the heck out of here!" Link looked from both left and right, trying to find a way out.

"**JUMP, LINK!" **Shannon cried from the air. **"THERE'S WATER NEARBY, YOU'LL BE SAFE!" **Midna and Link exchanged glances, before they nodded. Taking a deep breath, Link began to run towards one of the stone walls before him, and then, he jumped. Midna grabbed unto him and gave a loud yell as they met the water below, but nothing was compared to the screech of a hawk just above them.

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Zelda groaned as she hovered as slowly as she could to the ground, the arrow sticking out from her back causing her much displeasure and pain. That guy had just been lucky, the hawk princess being too busy watching Link and Midna escape from the raging inferno that she didn't see that second archer get another arrow, and swing! Straight to her back. She had been lucky to still be far away from the archer, or else she wouldn't be hurting, but dying. While the arrow had planted itself well upon her back, only half of the arrowhead made it through, yet, it was painful. Painful because one, her body was a little sore after not resting well a day or so before.

The hawk princess finally managed it to the ground and collapse, breathing heavily. _**It feels like I'm back in my castle again…all that pain…**_Zelda sighed and shook her head, getting up, and then, a cry caught her ears. **"SHANNON!" **Zelda turned around and spotted Link running frantically towards her, she could see that he was obviously wet after he landed on top of what remained of Lake Hylia. Link arrived over to his friend, and frowned, at least as much as his wolf's face would allow him. **"…you're hurt…" **Link said simply, going towards her to try to take care of the arrow, only to be beaten to it by Midna. Both beasts looked puzzled by this, and then, the imp shrugged.

"Well, unlike you, I do happen to have fingers." Link didn't say anything at her mocking comment, and only watched as she took out the arrow from Zelda's back. It was an easy task, even for her small and delicate fingers. The imp quickly threw the arrow to the side, dusting her hands. "There we go! Now, don't go around playing target practice, eh, bird brain?" Zelda nodded a thank you.

"**Thank you very much, Midna…" **Midna only brushed the screeching aside, unconcerned by its meaning, before she jumping unto Link's back. The wolf looked back at her and muttered,

"**I never knew she was capable of being nice," **Midna seemed to understand him, for she glared at the wolf below her. Link, after receiving a good glare from the imp, turned to face Zelda. **"are you sure you can continue with that injury, Shannon?" **Zelda nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was be a burden, especially to Link.

"**Yes…I can manage…thank you for your concern." **Zelda began to flap her wings, and hovered in the air, hiding her pain within her mind. _**I can manage this…come on, Zelda! You can hold on! **_Link looked worriedly at his bird friend, before he was finally convinced, or he thought that he wouldn't convince her to not go with him, and left it at that. He turned to face Midna, who was looking around the remains of Lake Hylia. Some spirits were nearby, about three close to the puddle of water, and another one far away from said puddle.

"So this is Lake Hylia," Midna commented as she was looking around. "…but there's so little water…I wonder…" She looked at Link below her. "You don't think that the Fused Shadow in here is responsible, do you?" The hero shrugged, and turned to the hawk princess hovering above them.

"…**Hmm…the air is…cool all of sudden," **Zelda commented, feeling the breeze hit her in the face. It was awfully cold even in the middle of the spring, which was odd. The hawk looked back at Link, who went towards a group of spirits that were nearby, Zelda followed suit, landing and stifling a groan, the pain in her back getting harder to bear. Using her magic, while Link probably used his senses, Zelda and the wolf were met with the sight of Zoras, older than the Zora that was staying at that place. They had a strange helmet on and carried lances, with them. Zelda had immediately recognized them as Zora Soldiers, but whatever were they doing here?

"_**We've had absolutely no water flowing from upstream…"**_ one of the Zora soldiers commented, looking as an ally of his inspected the puddle that was now Lake Hylia.

"_**There's no mistaking it. Something must have happened at the water's source back in our home." **_Came another soldier, looking back at the first Zora that spoke.

"_**Yet, how are we to return upstream to our home? With the way things are now, we can't even walk back there…" **_

"_**There must be a way! For now, we just need to find another way back upstream to the domain." **_

"_**Even if we could climb the stones, we would fall before we even reach that far…"**_

"_**But…"**_

"_**Let's just pray to the Goddesses that our Queen and our peers are safe back in the domain…" **_

"…_**." **_Zelda and Link exchanged looks, before Midna spoke again.

"Well, at least we know now what happened to the water, now…if what those two said is true, then, how do we find our way upstream, if they can't even get up there?" Midna glanced back at the small cave above them, to which Zelda and Link set sights on as well.

"…**well, we could find a way to climb up there…but, maybe I could…you know..." **Zelda told Link, but the wolf only shook his head.

"**You could carry Colin, but I bet you'll have difficulty carrying a very large wolf like me, who is in reality a grown man." **Link explained, making Zelda sigh. That was true, even though she had her human strength back, that didn't mean that she could carry Link, maybe give him a small boost or something, but not carry him, not even as a wolf.

"…**alright, but how would you get up there, then?" **Zelda asked, her question aimed at Midna. The little imp seemed to understand what the hawk meant, and looked down at Link.

"Well, there's no use staying around here and wondering how to get up there, let's start looking for an alternative entrance!" Link nodded and began to walk, with Zelda flying above him.

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Link sighed as he made his way to a nearby house close to the lake, well, to the puddle of Hylia. It was quite pathetic, really, how he was thinking more about Ilia's well being than to help out the Zoras. He had been extremely happy to see Ilia, but had worried again when he had seen her injury. While she seemed fine at that moment, Link had become extremely distressed after seeing her wound, but had hidden it quite well, at least from Midna. Before Shannon separated from Link to see if she could find a different path to the Zora's Domain, the hawk had shot him a worried glance, that seemed to dig into his soul, before she left. Somehow, his worry was also affecting Shannon, but being worried about his friend's well being and a hawk were two different things, even if the hawk in question had saved his life once in a while, and also Colin's.

As he was thinking about all of this, Link's ears caught the voice of another spirit. Turning around, he spotted a strange clown or something of that sort nearby, with a melancholic face upon his person. _**"Hurrrmm…I'm too old for this…our grand opening and not a single costumer in sight…ah, and then comes the lake," **_the clown muttered, looking back at the remains of Lake Hylia. _**"…with little water…maybe it isn't a lake at all…fancy with the name I bet…I wonder though, did the Zoras that live upstream do something, or was it that strange spirit that lives nearby?" **_At the mention of a spirit both Midna and Link looked at each other.

"Could he be referring to that spirit that we are looking for?" Link whined, and shrugged.

"**I don't have a clue," **the wolf told her, and turned to the clown, trying to find out more about the Zoras, at least, he hoped so.

"_**Well, whatever they did…it's not like I can go up and complain…Too high.." **_The clown turned to face the ground, and suddenly something seemed to catch his eye. _**"Whuzzat, a customer!" **_he cried, making both Link and Midna turn around to the said customer. The customer turned out to be a Twilight Bulblin, making its way towards something in the distance. The clown cowered in fear, and lay low. _**"That ain't no customer! That's a FREAKING MONSTER!" **_

"Come on! I don't like what that guy is planning." Midna told Link, to which the hero nodded, and quickly followed behind the monster.

Both hero and imp had counted on the element of surprise to catch this monster, but it seemed that this element worked the other way around, when the Twilight Bulblin grabbed something from the ground, and blew on it. Link quickly recognized the tune that the monster was playing, mouth wide open, jaw ready to crash against the earth. _**What the..! You have to be kidding me! That thing can use hawk grass? **_His surprise went to new levels when a Twilight bird made its way towards it. Nodding its strange head, the bird allowed the monster to hope on top of him. "That's a joke, right?" Midna whispered, mouth opened, what she saw before her unbelievable. "Get ready, doggy…because, this might hurt…" Link closed his mouth and nodded, as the bird took to the air.

The monster on top of it began to fire arrows with fire, and Link began to wonder if he was part of the group that had lighten up the bridge nearby and attacked Shannon. Link was able to evade most of the arrows, but when it came time to attack the beast, it just flew in the air. "OH! How bothersome!" Midna cried, quickly creating a black circle around him. Link know what this one was, some strange attack that paralyzed some body functions of an enemy close to the circle, enabling Link to attack them. "Okay, at three…one," the bird was flying towards him, with the Twilight Bulblin already with an arrow stuck on the bow. "two," they were coming closer, the arrow soon to leave. "THREE!" The circle caught the two monsters by surprise, before Link jumped on the Twilight bird, and bit it. After three or so bites, the bird shook Link off, and flew away, with the monster still on its back, who was already preparing to attack Link with an arrow.

Before he could release the arrow, however, Shannon suddenly appeared, and tackled the monster to the ground, allowing Link to attack. The wolf quickly bit down the monster's throat, killing it. Spitting out some blood, Link and Shannon both faced the huge Twilight bird before them, still flying around. Without warning, Midna suddenly jumped from Link's back, and hopped on top of the raging bird. **"MIDNA!" **Link and Shannon cried out in alarm. Midna barely noticed their concern, as she was quickly calming the angered bird that now was below her, using her hair to calm it.

"HEY! Stop it! I'm your new master now! Settle down!" At the sound of Midna's words, the Twilight bird quickly calmed down, allowing the imp to relax on its back. Both hawk and wolf looked at each other in bewilderment.

"**How did she managed to tame the dark creature?" **Shannon asked the wolf.

"**Don't look at me like I know…I just as surprised as you are," **Link informed her, looking back at Midna.

"Hey, doggy! Why don't we use this guy to get us all the way to the lake's water source?" Link cringed a little.

"**Are you sure? I don't think that bird you are flying is safe…" **Midna understood him and laughed.

"Come on, Mr. Hero! There's nothing to be afraid of! He's listening to me now!" She patted the monster's back as she said this, waiting for his answer. Link was about to say no, when Shannon interrupted him.

"**Why don't you do it, Link?" **she asked him, making the wolf turn to her in disbelief. **"Look, it may appear dangerous, but it is obvious she has it under control." **Shannon pointed a wing at Midna. **"Besides, if that thing is extremely dangerous, wouldn't it be attacking us right now?" **Link seemed to consider those words, and then sighed.

"**You have a good point, there, Shannon…" **He turned to face Midna and the bird. _**Yet, I still don't like it…and I pretty much will regret doing this…**_Link nodded at Midna, who in turn laugh.

"Okay, then! Up we go!" The huge bird flew towards Link, and grabbed him by the back with its strange black talons, then flew away, Shannon behind it.

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Link sighed in relief as the bird dropped the wolf down, and then, flew away, with Midna staying behind. The ride through the river had been extremely full of surprises, thanks to the explosions nearby, that had caused some rocks to collapse and crush on top of them. Fortunately, Midna was good at guiding the Twilight bird that held Link, while Shannon was naturally fast to avoid them. Some monster archers on the way, too, wanted to make their lives difficult, but Shannon and the bird were quick to get rid of them. Now, they were all in the upper river.

"Well, that was fast! We're here already? What do you know? That bird turned out to be more useful than I expected…"

"**Well, the ride wasn't made any easier thanks to those explosions…" **Link muttered, looking behind him. Shannon only shook her head.

"**Those monsters didn't make things better, either…" **

"Well, enough talking and more looking!" Midna order, patting Link's head. "We have to go and look for the village of the Zoras, right? Let's find it quick! It's starting to get cold around here…" Link and Shannon suddenly looked at each other, and then, felt the wind. The wind around the area was colder than before, this was certainly odd. Link looked back at the hawk before him, who seemed to be thinking deeply. He was about to ask her what was wrong, before she went into the air, and towards a small hole nearby, much to his amazement.

"**Shannon?" **

"**Over here!" **came Shannon's reply. **"The water people's home is this way!" **Link at first reluctant to jump, but he did so anyways. The wolf quickly landed upon solid ground, hardly feeling anything. Shannon hovered nearby and argued him to follow her. Something was odd at the ground at his feet, and the hawk seemed to notice it as well, for she stopped suddenly. **"The air is getting cooler," **she said as she hovered on Link's left. **"…something strange is going on…can you feel it?" **Link looked down at his feet for a while, and then back at Shannon.

"**My feet are co—whoa!" **Link suddenly came to a stop at what was before him, as did Shannon, who stopped flying and landed nearby him. It was only Midna that spoke.

"Oh…Hey…what's going on here? I thought that it was getting colder…but not in a millions years would I have thought that this place was frozen over!"

"**You're telling us," **Link whispered, as he and Shannon examined the place. Something was missing around here, and Link didn't like it not one bit.

"This is a Zora village, right?" Midna asked them after a while. "Then, why don't I see any?" Wolf and hawk shrugged. "Well…anyway, let's check things out. Let's see if there are any Zoras around…find out what's going on…" Link nodded, along with Shannon and began to look around for any sign of the Zoras.

Only after five minutes or so, did Shannon returned from her trek and shouted towards them. **"Link! I found something up here!" **Link looked up in the air, to see what Shannon was pointing her beak at. He then, turned to Midna, who seemed to have caught on the message.

"I guess…we could climb up there, using that…" The imp pointed to nearby sticks of ice, and then, she gulped. "This isn't going to be any fun, is it?"

"**Well, I won't enjoy it, if you're wondering…" **Link growled.

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Link sometimes wondered why he didn't transform into a bird instead of a wolf, it would have made his job a lot easier. Yet, he knew that complaining will get him nowhere, and so, he climbed all the way to the upper chamber of the domain, Shannon flying towards him. **"Splendid jumping," **she told him.

"**Thanks…" **Link muttered, and Shannon could see that he hadn't enjoyed the trip up here at all.

Link quickly ran through the small hallway towards the chamber, with Shannon following behind him. It had not taken them long to find the frozen chamber, overrun by shadow beasts. "Well, this is just great…" Midna murmured, getting ready to fight the beasts. Link and Shannon were quick to tackle the beast, as Midna created her small hole around them. Both Link and Shannon took it as their chance to go and attack the beasts before them, biting and pecking them until they fell to the ground. Soon, the shadow beasts were defeated, and they left in small particles, creating a portal nearby. "Well, what do you know? Another portal has appeared around here…well, you know the drill, you wanna go through the portal, just give me a wo—I mean, bark, and let me know." Link nodded to Midna, and looked around.

"**I don't see any Zoras around here…" **Link muttered, and Shannon nodded. Both were about to leave, when Midna's yelp caught them by surprise.

"DOWN! LOOK DOWN!" Confused by her request, the two animals, nether the less, looked down. It took Link a moment to inspect the area, but then he recoiled back a little in shock. Shannon soon followed after, surprised at what she had seen.

Underneath their feet, encased in a prison of ice, where the Zoras; most were floating in the ice as if nothing was wrong, while others, were, quite literally, frozen in shock. A few others were trying to swim away, but whatever had frozen the Zoras over had been too fast for any of them to evade.

"**ZORAS! They're frozen in the ice!" **Link cried, shaking the image off his head.

"Those…those are the Zoras!" Midna cried, hugging herself, afraid to even look down below. "Wow…" she said, almost whispering. "…this is really strange…what in the world happened here?" Midna took another peek, before she shuddered. "Hey…what do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this…" Link and Shannon exchanged looks, and nodded. Midna was right, they just couldn't leave them like that. "But, how? We can't just thaw them out with our eyes alone…" The three all stood silent for a while, before Shannon spoke.

"**And…if we were to use that hot rock that almost crushed you, Link, back in the…rock dwellers' home?" **Link looked back at the hawk, a bit surprised.

"…**I'm not sure…but," **he took a deep down, and shuddered. **"it just might work…let's hope…" **Link shrugged his canine shoulders, catching the imp's attention.

"Huh? What? You have an idea?" Link nodded, and pointed his nose towards the portal. Midna looked at the portal, too, and then back at Link. "Okay, so where to? Let me see…on the forest?" Link shook his head. "…okay, then…back to your home?" Another shake of the head. "…the Gorons' mountain?" A nod. "Well, let's just hope you have a plan…" She turned to Shannon, who didn't move and only looked at them, before they disappeared before her eyes.

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As soon as Link and Midna had left, Zelda had began to survey around the frozen chamber, and sighed. What had happened here? Zelda sighed. Even the Zoras had suffered from her mistakes. She also wondered what had happened to the Queen of the Zoras, for she had not seen her anywhere. The hawk princess sighed a bit. _**All this destruction…everything that's happened…it's my fault. If only I had been stronger…this would never have happened! **_Before she could continue with her musings, however, the portal above the place, began to flash a bit, suddenly, a red rock appeared from it, crashing down on the domain.

Zelda quickly hovered above the frozen layer of ice, and watched with fascination, as the rock nearby began to release water all over the domain. The hawk princess kept on the air, and watched as the whole area became free of ice, if only in certain places. Water began to fall down to the chamber below, Zelda mentally smiled. Link and Midna had done a good job on returning the domain back to normal. She looked down below, then, already the spirits of the Zoras were free, most shaking and barely conscious, but otherwise alive. Even the chamber had been returned to its normal status. Before she could go and explore the place, however, a voice caught her by surprise.

"Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy…" Midna muttered, as she and Link surveyed the area around. Link sighed in relief, as he used his senses, and saw the Zoras, then, he nodded back at Zelda.

"**Nice thinking, Shannon!" **Link told her, nodding his head, as he thanked her for giving them the good idea. Zelda only blushed, and nodded in return. "All right….the Zoras are safe now, so let's get going." Midna told them, catching the attention of the two animals.

"The ice melted and restored the water flow to normal, so maybe now we can meet that spirit… …" Link and Zelda nodded and were about to leave, when a voice caught them by surprise.

"_**Please, wait!" **_


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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_

_The tie which links mother and child is of such pure and immaculate strength as to be never violated._

**-Washington Irving**

**-Chapter 12-**

**-A Queen's Request-**

"_**Please, wait!" **_The animals quickly turned around, spotting a Zora woman floating nearby them. She was a rather beautiful Zora, that even though she was unclothe like most of the Zoras in the Domain, her features made her look as if she was wearing a night dress. She floated above them, glancing a bit at the coughing and freezing Zoras nearby. Link gave a large gasp, while Shannon flapped her wings in panic and almost tripped with her own two feet. The hero, and surprisingly the Zora, shot Shannon a sympathetic look, before Link decided to speak, not like she could have understood him, anyway.

"**Who are you?" **he barked, trying to sound as unthreatening as possible. Much to his, and even Midna's surprise, the floating Zora gave him a gentle nod, before she spoke,

"…_**my name is Rutela, once leader of the Zoras, their Queen. Please…allow me to thank you for your kindness in helping my people…" **_Midna only shrugged.

"Not to be rude or anything, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys…" This was met with a cry of annoyance from Shannon, and a bark from Link. Rutela, nether the less, smiled.

"_**It is quite alright…" **_the Queen of the Zoras told her, her smile still in its place. _**"while you may have not had in mind to help my people, I still will thank you…but, alas…I cannot do so properly as things are now," **_Rutela glanced at her fallen people, who ignored them all.

"**What exactly happened here, Queen Rutela?" **Link asked her, although the wolf already knew the answer. Not turning to face them, the queen spoke.

"_**The dark ones…they raided this village, which soon was under the mercy of the great winds. As a message to my people, the evil ones executed me before them…" **_Rutela sighed, facing Shannon for a while, before she turned to face Link. _**"Young man…you who takes the form of a proud beast…I have something to ask of you, if it isn't too much trouble…" **_The wolf was about to open his mouth, when Midna beat him to it.

"Look, we don't exactly have time to go around helping people…we are, what you call it, busy?" Link growled back at Midna, and looked back at Rutela.

"**It's alright, don't mind her…." **Link told her, nodding his head. **"I'll help you with anything you might need." **

"_**Thank you, young man." **_Midna gave an exasperated sigh, and she leaned her shoulder on top of his head, balancing her small head with a hand.

"…Let me guess, you said yes, eh, doggy?" Link only glared at Midna, and the imp was quick to understand. The imp only yawned, and looked back at Rutela. "Well, I guess we have to help you…so, what's your story, lady?"

"_**When the dark ones descended upon our home," **_Rutela explained, sighing deeply before continuing. _**"I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle…to inform," **_the queen stopped a bit, and faced the two animals. Her gaze was set at Shannon, and she gave a faint nod, before speaking again. _**"Princess Zelda of our fate. But…I fear that danger followed him on his journey to the castle…I can feel it…his presence in this world grows fainter to me over time…" **_She turned to face Link's deep blue eyes. _**"But…my time in this world has long passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue…please, if you would be so kind, would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis? If you do this for me and my son, I will bestow upon you the protection of water…" **_

"**Protection of water?" **Rutela nodded.

"_**The power that would allow to enter the deepest waters, and still breath air…like if you were a Zora…so, would you do this task for me?" **_Link was silent for a couple of seconds, before he spoke, nodding his head.

"**Don't worry, leave this to us…we will help your son." **

"_**Thank you for your kindness, young man…please…let your journey be a good one…for you, and your friends…" **_The Queen gave them a wink, before she disappeared into the darkness that was her domain. After she was gone, Midna yawned once more, and slapped Link on the back.

"**HEY!" **

"Way to go, Mr. Hero! Now, we got our hands full!"

"…**yeah, because you usually do all the wor-" **

"**Link…" **Shannon called, interrupting another argument that was ready to start between beast and imp. Link looked back at the hawk.

"**Yes? What's wrong, Shannon?" **

"**Wouldn't the prince…be…that Zora that was with Ilia back in that….place?" **The wolf and imp stared at Shannon a few seconds, before Link nodded, rather surprised.

"**Now that I think about it…he just might be! No wonder it was a bit tad strange that there was a Zora there…even near Ordon, you get to see Zoras very rarely…well, that solves one problem…" **Shannon nodded back at Link, before she began to hover in the air. **"now…we just have to get light back on here…" **Shannon nodded, meanwhile the imp on the wolf's back looked around.

"Well, maybe we can use the water around here to get to that spring…looks like the shock of the impact of our little welcoming rock not only raised the water level, but sped up the flow, too…" Midna seemed to think about something, before she snapped her fingers. "This water should flow all the way to the lake, right? Why don't you let it take you there?" Link looked back at the water before him, that was moving fast with an unknown wind and pressure. He gulped, before he dashed into the water. Link knew he was going to regret the trip later…and he did, as he almost drowned before he even reached the entrance of the spring, had not Shannon pulled his head off the water.

Both animals glared back at the grinning imp before them on the entrance to the spring. Link gave her a killer glare, as the imp smirked. "Enjoyed your ride?" A growl. "Well, it isn't exactly my fault because you can't breathe underwater…" Link coughed, well, rather barked, a bit, before he shook his head. He turned to Shannon, still coughing water out of his system.

"**Can we ditch her, now?" **

"…**well, if it were possible. Maybe." **Link chuckled a bit, and then sighed. Somehow, it would be a long time before Midna left them alone. Shaking his head, he and Shannon followed Midna inside towards the spring.

Link gasped in surprise when he saw the spring. It looked more like a shrine, or something of that sort. A whole area dedicated completely to the spirit that lived within the spring. It looked a bit like the spring of Ordon, but bigger and deeper, it appeared. Link nor Shannon could step among the waters of the spring, for they were standing on a smell ledge, overlooking the water. Before long, a small light began to appear within the middle of the lake, before a weakened voice spoke. _…hero…chosen by the gods…I am the last….of the spirits of light…consumed by the twilight…_The two animals could hear a faint chuckle, before the spirit continued to speak. _You have….done well…to make it this far…gather…my tears…of light that…were stolen…by the shadows…gather them…I beg of you…_In a flash of light, another of those vessels appeared in the air, which Shannon quickly took, and gave to Midna. _Collect…my light…lift the final cloud of twilight…that threatens…to cover…all of Hyrule…Beware…of the shadows…lurking…children…_ Link and Shannon looked back at the light, who escaped from the grasp of the darkness, and nothing more lighted the area.

"Well, I guess we have to go bug catching now, huh?"

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Midna and Link groaned when they finally made it back to the spring, the vessel of light full. They, along with Shannon, who was flying on top of them, had had a lot of trouble finding the sneaky insects. While Shannon's only difficulty was getting them out of the water before she could crush them with her talons, Link was forced to chase the shadow insects all over the river, jumping and barking at them to stop. Even, Midna, too, had spotted a few insects easily but catching them was another thing. Link had to chase them all over the place before Midna could catch them.

Now, they were finally back, in front of the spirit's spring, ready to return the tears of light towards it. Before Link and Midna managed to enter, however, Shannon called the wolf's attention once more. **"Link!" **Link looked back at the bird, confusion written all over his canine features.

"**What's wrong?" **

"**Since you are soon not to be a beast, do you want me to go and get Epona for you?" **The question of the hawk caught him by surprise, but even so, Link nodded.

"**Yeah…that'll be great…I'll meet you two up, alright?" **Shannon nodded, before she flew away, only to turn around, and watch silently as Link and Midna entered the shrine of the spirit, before she flew away.

Once inside of the shrine, Midna gave a small chuckle. "Well, it appears that bird brain ditched you, now!" Link growled at her.

"**If anyone should be ditching, it should be me…far away from you!" **Midna only snickered, before she threw the vessel of light towards the spring, which began glowing in light. She then, got out of Link's back, and waved at the wolf.

"You just make sure you get that last Fused Shadow, eh? See, you later!" Soon, Midna disappeared deep into his shadow, as the light engulfed the place and Link could feel himself human once more. He turned to examine himself, and sighed. The hero was back to normal, then, his sight was set on the spring before him.

Light engulfed the chamber as a sort of sacred sun, finally reveling itself in the form of a giant snake, or it appeared in Link's eyes. The hero had to covered his eyes a little so the light would not affect them. _Great hero…thank you for returning my light to me…my name is Lanayru…your efforts have at last, restored light to Hyrule…O…hero chosen by the gods…the dark power that you seek…it waits in a temple at the bed of Lake Hylia… _Link nodded at the spirit. Well, even if Midna liked it or not, they had to save Ralis, or else, his mother wouldn't give Link the protection of water that he needed to look for the Fused Shadow in the first place. Link was about to turn around to continue his mission, when Lanayru called him. _…But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something…and never forget it…_

"Oh, great…a story," Midna murmured from Link's shadow, making the hero glare at her, although he wonder what was that Lanayru wanted to tell him.

_You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we lock the forbidden power away from the hands of those who sought for it…_Link gave an uncomfortable glance at his shadow, who only had its arms cross.

_When all was nothing but chaos, three great goddesses descended from the heavens. One of them, Din, with her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth….Nayru…she poured her wisdom unto this red earth and gave the spirit of law to the world…Farore…with her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold—_a yawn was heard from the shadow. Link shot Midna a astonished look, but both things were ignored by the spirit, as it went on with its tale. …_the law of the world...after their labors were complete…the great ones departed for the heavens, leaving behind three pieces of gold at the point where they left the world...the triforce…_In a flash of light, Lanayru made the whole area glow, and then, a great image of a three piece golden triangle appeared in front of Link. The hero gasped, and quickly looked at his hand…the hand where his birthmark rested, a birthmark whom he paid no mind at all, until now. _The triforce…was hidden by the goddesses from men, in the sacred realm…for if the triforce were to be found, those with evil intentions will use its power to plunge the land into chaos…and so for many ages, after the creation of Hyrule, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body…_The triangle of light, or the triforce as Lanaryu called it began to glow. The upper part was red, the left part blue, and finally, the right part green. In the empty center, a vision of chaos appeared. Strange people ran away from infernos that chased them, while others, laughed along with the agony of the fallen men and women. Both Link and his shadow flinched in surprise with all the destruction that was taking place. _...But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued…among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled in magic appeared. Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm and steal the triforce for themselves…_At that, Link's shadow shifted uncomfortably. _It was at that moment, that the three goddesses order us spirits to intervene…we sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered…_Soon, the glowing of the triangles stopped, before, they broke apart and became nothing but light once more. _You know this magic…it is the dark power you seek…the Fused Shadow…for you to defeat the King of Shadows, this power, you must wield…_The spirit nodded its large, serpentine head. _O hero chosen by the goddesses…Beware…beware of this dark power…those who do not know the danger of wielding great power will, before long, be ruled by it…Never forget that…this power that you seek…rests in the depths of the ancient temple of the Zoras, the Lakebed Temple…may the light guide your path…great hero…and be wary…for blood will soon be spilled…and one of your companions shall die…_Link froze at those words, as the spirit suddenly turned to nothing and disappeared within the spring's waters. One of his companions…would die? What in the world was this spirit talking about? He only hope it was superstitious talk…no one he knew would die… would they?

"Hey, you okay?" Link suddenly blinked his shock away and faced Midna, who floated in front of him, already in the form of a shadow. Her eyes betrayed worry and confusion.

"Yeah…I'm fine….but what that spirit said…" Midna only waved the comment away.

"Ah, come on! This guys have a knack for saying riddles! No one is going to die, doggy!" Midna told him, although she added a little bitterly, "…well, if they can help it that is."

"Well, that makes me feel better. Thank you," Link grumbled, as Midna only smirked before sinking into his shadow again. Despite himself, Link found himself smirking, as he walked away. _Yeah…maybe she's right…maybe everything was going to be alright…_

Link calmly walked out of the spring, and began to look around. Then, his sight were set on the huge bridge, the Great Bridge of Hylia, now, how the heck was he going to get up there? First getting to the domain, now this! Wonderful. Midna was quick to get out of Link's shadow, and also looked back at the great bridge. "Well…how about that? Now wouldn't be a bad time to learn how to fly, huh?"

"See any wings?" Link asked her, extending his hands, and then letting them fall to his sides. "But we need to find some way to get back to the bridge…"

"Well, look around…there's probably some sort of stairs or something to get up there…"

"Good idea…" Link quickly began to run around the wooden pathway over the water, when a voice suddenly stopped him.

"Hey, buddy! You lookin' for somethin'?" Link calmly looked back, and spotted that same clown like person that the hero had seen as a wolf before the light returned to Lake Hylia.

"Umm…yes? Do you happen to know how to get up there?" Link pointed at the bridge above them. The clown stared at the place where Link was pointing at, and shrugged.

"There used to be some sort of ladder nearby…but some wise guy destroyed it a long time ago…so, the only way to get up there…is by flying…" Link sighed. Just great…the only one that could fly among the hero's little group was waiting for him to get back to the field with his horse. "Although…you are a luck fella, fella!" The clown suddenly cried, grinning a bit. "I happen to have the only thing that can get you all the way up there, ya know? The HEIGHT of excitement, the THRILL of launching to the heavens, the very PEAK of flying fascination!"

"Huh?" The clown pointed to the house that was behind him, next to a strange large box with a handle.

"I happen to have the only cannon in all of Hylia, buddy boy! The experience to fly can be YOURS, fella! For a limited time only, and without waiting in line! Only ten rupees!" Link's eyes widen, as he looked back at the supposed cannon nearby.

"And…is it…safe?" he managed to choke out, making the clown man chuckle.

"Safe as safe can be, fella…I, Fyre, can guarantee it…although, I haven't tried the cannon yet, so I can't be too sure…" Link shot him a strange look, and he was about to refuse when he suddenly realized that he had no choice. He had to get back to Shannon and Epona, and also find Ilia and that Ralis kid again. He could take this, couldn't he? The hero had taken care of great monsters to just cower at the sight of a cannon.

Link sighed, and from his wallet bag, he got out a small yellow rupee, which he gave to the hands of the clown, Fyre, and begged the Goddesses that the trip be a safe one. Fyre smiled as he pocketed his well earned rupee and argued Link inside the house. "Enjoy your trip, fella…hope you don't land on the rocks, though…" Link was already inside the cannon house, before he cried out,

"WHAT!" And with that the door to the cannon closed, and seconds later, the cannon fired.

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Link grumbled as he made his way towards the other side of the great bridge of Hylia, with Midna groaning along with him as well. "I…can't…believe…you actually…said yes…to that cannon…trip…" Midna told him from his shadow, shivering. "That was the worst trip of my life…right now, why I wouldn't give to run into a herd of Bulblins than this…"

"You tell me…I was the landing target!" Link cried, rubbing his back.

"Yeah…so sorry, for you then…"

The trip towards the bridge had not been fun. Link had missed the rocks by an inch, and he was lucky that Midna was there with him to make the fall less painful. It had done very little to work well, but still, he couldn't complain. He was complete, nothing was missing nor broken, and Link was happy with that. The hero saw Shannon and Epona at the end of the bridge, and quickly ran up to them. Their journey to back to Castle Town was at hand.

The trip to Castle Town had not been long, but it was already night by the time Link and the others reached town. Shannon was seated calmly upon the hilt, looking around the town. Many rumors began to catch Link's ears as he led Epona through the town by the reins. Rumors about a Zora child in a bar that belonged to some woman named Telma…about how the castle was taken over or something like that, because no one could get in nor out….that the princess was probably dead.

The hero began to wonder if with all this rumors circling around, why no one had done something about the mess that Hyrule was currently suffering, well, apart from him, of course. The Hylian soldiers only stood in circles, looking back at the townspeople as if bored, with nothing better to do, even ignoring the citizens that asked questions about the castle. Link had noticed the many glares Shannon had thrown at them, but he only assumed that she was finding their behavior rather rude. He couldn't really blame her, really, he himself was also angry at the incompetence of this people. They were supposed to be serving Hyrule, and instead, they were standing around, doing nothing! Link sighed, knowing anything he said wouldn't make a difference, although, Shannon had another idea. She kept on giving awful glares to the soldiers, sending some cowering behind another of their allies. Both Link and Midna had to stop themselves from laughing out loud, lest they be found out.

Link quickly followed the path he had taken as a wolf, leaving Epona behind on a stable house(for a cheap ten rupees!) so she wouldn't be bothered by the crowded streets and even hurt. Shannon didn't even take to the air, but held on well unto Link's sword hilt, flapping a bit when she lost her balance. In one or two occasions, the young man had gotten lost and asked for helped to passersby's…out of about a hundred people around him, only one, a young girl with blonde hair in pigtails, wearing an strange dress, and carrying an umbrella with her, showed him the way to Telma's Bar, but that was because she had confused him for a giant grasshopper with those clothes he wore.

The girl had quickly introduced herself as Agitha, and she had merrily showed Link to the bar. "Well, here it is, Mr. Grasshopper!" Agitha said, smiling brightly at Link, who in turn smiled back.

"Thanks, Agitha…I owe you one…" Agitha waved a tiny hand, brushing his thanks aside like some sort of princess.

"Heehee! Think nothing of it, Mr. Grasshopper! I was happy be of help! Now, I must go, see you!" Agitha waved a good bye at Link, before she quickly disappeared among the crowd. Link shook his head, chuckling to himself, as he made his way into that woman, Telma's bar. Before he could even open the door, he and Shannon heard angry yelling from inside.

"Doctor! Please, don't just give up like that!" called a male voice, a bit familiar to Link's voice.

"Please, doctor! Shiro is right! Help him!" Link's eyes widen. _That voice…Ilia! _He was about to get inside the bar, when suddenly someone opened the door for him. It was a man, that had barely missed hitting him by a few inches with the door.

"That is a Zora child! That is beyond my expertise! Hmmph!" He walked past Link, closing the door behind him. In a few seconds, however, someone else opened the door. Link's eyes widen when he saw Ilia, shouting back at the fleeing doctor. "Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will…" Ilia trailed off, realizing the doctor wouldn't turn back, no matter what. Link looked sadly back at Ilia, who wanted to find the arrogant doctor, but to no avail. Well, when he saw him now, she'll probably feel better. Heck, she'll cry of joy just seeing Epona and Shannon…that girl was always good with them animals….Ilia just glance at Link, not giving him any mind, before she went inside the bar. Both the hero and the hawk upon his hilt blinked, surprised by their old friend's sudden action.

Okay, what was that about?

Concern returned to his features tenfold, as Link began to follow Ilia inside the bar, calling out her name. She paid no attention to him, as she sat by the side of the young Zora boy, whom Link had guessed by now, was probably Ralis. Next to her, was a Hylian soldier, this one showing some of his black hair from his helmet that covered his face. His lance lay all but forgotten on the ground beneath him, as he folded both arms across his chest. "The nerve of that man! Leaving a child unattended!"

"…you're right, Mr. Shiro…but, we can't do anything now, if that doctor won't help him…" Ilia patted the Zora boy's delicate hand. Link was about to go over there and ask Ilia what was wrong, when someone patted his shoulder, wanting his attention. Turning around, he spotted that same redhead that accompanied Ilia along with the unconscious Ralis.

"Hey, honey," she replied, smiling brightly. She was holding a small cup on her hand, while she patted Shannon gently with the other. "I see that you know who she is, huh?" Link looked back at the woman, puzzled.

"Why do you mean by know who she is? She and I practically grew up together!" The redhead woman gave him a sad smile, before he took him and the hawk to the side.

"…listen, honey…you might not like what you gonna hear…but, that girl," she glanced back at Ilia, before giving Link a sad look. "has no clue of who she used to be…she hardly remembers her own name…"


	13. Chapter 13

Fyras14: Its been so long! Sorry for the mayor delay, people! Life and school were a little complicated this semester, but I got over it, with good grades to boot! So, I'm as happy as can be...at least until August (laughs). Anyway, if you have been checking my profile lately, I had a small problem with the USB that had all my stories stored into, as well as my work, I dont exactly know what my teacher did to it that all the folders just stopped opening. Luckily, I was able to fix this mess by transferring the folders using a Mac (which I unfortunately do not have) to another USB. Unfortunately, it was after I made that small post on my profile that I finally learned how to avert that problem, unfortunately I had completely forgotten that I had made copies of this stories just in case here in my laptop so you can just imagen how I felt those few days.

Anyway, after final exam week, I was finally able to update at least one, plus this one. I plan to update this story at least once every two weeks on Sunday, if I dont forget, that is.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

* * *

_If a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it._

**-Edgar Watson Howe**

**-Chapter 13-**

**-Friends-**

It was almost impossible to believe…Ilia had lost her memory? What had happened to her? Zelda didn't know what to think as she saw the bewildered look on Link's face was enough to break her heart, a piece of at a time.

This was all her fault. Every single death, every single injured…and now, her friends. Ilia, an innocent girl leaving in a world which had not known war, had lost the only thing that made all those laughs, all those people, all those memories were gone and only because Zelda had been too weak to stop the attack on her castle. If only she had stopped the attack on the castle, she could have stopped the raid on Ordon…probably would never meet Link and his friends, who would still be at their homes, playing, being ignorant of the horrors of the world. Some part of her, she was disgusted to admit, was glad this had happened because her failures she had met Link. Her mind and heart were fighting each other; she was a monster for thinking that way (falling for a peasant was not proper); you are a failure (you did what you could).

She shook her head, and looked back as the redhead woman, Telma, told Link everything that had happened as of now: Ilia and the Zora, Ralis, had been running away from a group of monsters, they had been saved by a knight named Shiro, and then, they ended here. When the barkeeper had questioned the girl, Ilia didn't know what to say. She could hardly remember anything, only that she had to run away and also care for the young Zora child who was dying.

After finishing with her explanation, Telma shot Link one last sympathetic look, before walking over towards Ilia, offering her a cup of tea. The girl only shook her head, desperately burying her face with her hands. Behind them both stood a group of knights huddled together, wondering what would happen now. One lone knight, who Zelda recognize as the Shiro, had moved away from the group, sighing. He barely acknowledged Link and the hawk princess, before removing his helmet and leaning his head fall into a nearby table. He seemed tired.

"Well, this isn't good," Telma muttered, as she put the cup down in a nearby table, as a small, white cat walked slowly towards both hero and hawk, interested. "…a human doctor won't do for this boy, huh…but, that reminds me," she began, getting looks from everyone around, except from Link, who was watching his friend despair over the Zora boy's condition, with Zelda looking at the hero once or twice. "I'ver heard of some shaman in Kakariko Village, in the lands of Eldin…I hear that he has tended both Gorons and Zoras, alike…" At the mention of that, Ilia quickly looked back at the older woman, hope in her eyes. The knight, too, looked at the barkeeper as well.

"Is that true?" the girl asked, smiling. "Perhaps…perhaps if we take him there, he might be saved!" Behind them, Link smiled, only to sigh soon after; Zelda noticed, and only managed to turn to look in the ground, the feelings of hate and jealously filling her very core before she shook them off. The white cat only glanced at her as the hawk princess did that, but it was ignored.

"Inadvisable!" cried one of the knights, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Everyone shot them a curious look, with Zelda cocking her head at their direction. "TOO DANGEROUS!"

"Yes! Too dangerous!" another agreed, shaking his spear in the air. Shiro, on the other hand, looked at the knights and placed a hand on his forehead as he shook his head. Zelda and the cat, she noticed, glanced at the knight, before looking back at the others. From Shiro's body language it was easy to decipher that this was normal behavior for the knights, all bark and no bite.

"But, we can't just turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either," a third knight said, making Link look at him, folding both arms across his chest, his shadow mimicking him, as if asking what were those knights going to do. "Yes! We'd better escort you! Am I right boys?"

"YES!" came the loud cheer from the group of soldiers, making Zelda feel glad. Seeing brave knights like this sacrifice for the good of the people was always a good thing, even if they would do it for selfish reasons. "YES! LET'S HELP THE YOUNG LADY!"

"Well, isn't that nice?" Telma asked, sending a grin to Ilia. "To reach Kakariko we've got to cross two plains that are infested by dangerous beasts! But with all this crowd of big guns we are sure to be-"Turning to look at the knights, Telma stopped what she was saying finally noticing that the group that had shown courage seconds prior were gone. Link and the knight Shiro remained the latter who was shouting at them to come back. Zelda couldn't help but shake her head in disappointment. "OH! For the love of Nayru! Those cowards! If I ever see you in my bar again, I will personally kick you back to the cucco coral from which you came from!" Telma yelled furiously at the door, not expecting to be heard or to get a reply. Shiro only shook his head.

"I'm so sorry about all this Telma…they got you guys excited for nothing." Telma only shook her head, and sighed.

"Say nothing about it, Shiro, besides," she sent a wink at Link, who only winked back, surprised. Zelda grinned mentally; knowing exactly was passing through the barkeeper's mind. "We have a young swordsman here!" Both Ilia and Shiro turned to look at Link, as if now noticing he was there. "What do you say, honey? Wanna help us out?"

"Sure," Link replied, smiling.

"Ah! Wonderful!" the older woman said, grinning from ear to ear, as she looked back at Shiro, who was putting his helmet over his head and picking his lance.

"Count on me too, Telma!" he cried. "Let me repay the dishonor my comrades have so shamelessly showed you!"

"Oh, you don't have to do all their work, Shiro! They don't deserve it…now, better get this little one ready, and you are coming too, young lady…now, honey, Shiro, let's get going!"

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Shiro gulped as he looked at the open road before him, his white horse below just as nervous as his rider. The swordsman, Link, and his chestnut mare were on the other side of Telma's carriage, that carried that young girl and the Zora child. Telma herself was riding the carriage, that was carried by one black mare. Up in the air, Shannon, the swordsman's hawk, was watching from the sky for any sign of enemies, before they set off. When she found none, she quickly landed on the top of the carriage, shaking her head at Link. "Okay, thanks Shannon," the swordsman told her, turning to Telma, he said, "Shannon found no one nearby…our path should be clear…for now…" The redhead nodded.

"I hear ya, honey…it doesn't even help that the old bridge of Eldin is ripped in pieces…we could save ourselves some trouble if it had not been destroyed…" Telma sighed, shaking her head. Shiro nodded a bit of that, recalling how that Link fellow had told them about the Bridge of Eldin's destruction at the hands of beasts…and now, they all had to take the long path to Kakariko, the one that was considered the most dangerous of them all. Traders usually avoided the long path for fear of running into monsters, and even though the open space was large enough, it sometimes wasn't enough to escape with their heads intact.

Every second that passed, Shiro wished that he was back in Castle Town, under the safe cover of its walls, yet the knight knew better. His heart would never let him abandon this people, even if he didn't help that much, Shiro couldn't just abandon them to their fate. Since he became a knight, Shiro had wanted to help people, facing any kind of danger that dared present itself. From saving an old lady from a thief, to getting chased by a foul dog to allow a group of kids to escape to safety, Shiro would do it, no matter how embarrassing the job seemed. As the horses began to walk, the knight shot a look back at the town, sighing a bit. Not only was there trouble out in the wilderness of Hyrule, but in their castle as well.

Shiro didn't know exactly all the details, but something bad had happened to the castle. According to some sources, it had been taken over by someone while they weren't looking, and the army had been lowered to cowardly idiots and lazy drunks. No one did anything, and no one was allowed inside the castle walls, either. Shiro's mind wondered to the fate of Princess Zelda, if something had happened to her; nobody knowing if she was dead or alive. No one knew anything, and no one said anything, only if they felt a good rumor was well to spread. Not even the captains or noblemen knew what was going on, and that just made it even worse.

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The road to the Great Bridge of Hylia was still far, and at the slow pace they were going, they wouldn't arrive to Kakariko in at least a whole day, but, at least, the girl will be keeping the Zora boy safe from harm from within the carriage's safe walls.

As they moved on, Shiro couldn't help but notice that the hawk was looking at him, glancing a bit back to the road to Castle Town, before she stared back at Shiro. It was strange, really. Here was some wild animal looking at him all weird and stuff, nodding her head as if she were grateful for the help this young knight of Hyrule was providing to her master and Telma. Shiro had to admit that those sapphire colored eyes that the hawk carried looked so familiar—

"Heads up, Shiro!" Link cried from his side, drawing his bow. "Trouble!" Shiro looked ahead of him, and gasped. They were already in front of the Great Bridge of Hylia…just how long had he been in the clouds, anyway? However, as soon as he stopped examining the bridge, his eyes were set on a large monster that guarded the end of the road, on top of some monstrous boar, wearing shields on either side of him. Shannon cried in surprise as she hovered in the air.

"What in the world?" Telma cried, looking as shocked as Shiro was at seeing the beast. "That thing! It's blocking the path…" Link turned to face Telma, and gave her a nod, before he galloped full force towards the creature, much to Telma and Shiro's amazement. "Honey! Be careful!"

The knight and barkeeper watched with opened mouths, as Link quickly got his bow ready, and began to fire arrows at the beast before him. Shiro could hear the cries of pain of the creature, as more and more arrows struck it on its uncovered body. Shiro almost gasped, when the creature almost made it out with the swordsman's head, but Link managed to duck just in time, and turn Epona around to hit the beast with another barrage of arrows. The beast groaned in response, shaking a beat on top of his boar. Shannon was flying nearby, and managed to strike the beast on the head, causing even more confusion during the battle. Link took this as a chance, and sent another arrow, this one, striking the big boar that carried the large green beast. The boar was left in a state of bewilderment, making the beast on top of him unable to control it. Shiro continued to watch, mouth open, as the boar crashed against the wall of the bridge, before sending its rider to the oblivion below.

Telma clapped her hands, as Link put his bow away, and Shannon landed on his sword's hilt, as they made their way back to the carriage. "That was some amazing work there, honey!"

"Indeed it was!" Shiro cried out. "Impressive…" The Hylian knight suddenly felt a wave of courage wash over him. If this Link person could protect them all, why couldn't he? He was a man, flesh and blood, and yet, despite the size of the beast, and the many foes, he came out on top. If one simple man such as Link could do it, with a brave soul and a stronger will, then Shiro could as well. If it was to protect the people then Shiro would do it, after all, he was a knight.

As they made their way towards the open fields that faced all kinds of monsters, Shiro got his lance ready, knowing full well that the journey ahead will be far more than safe, and he would be ready to help this hero man and aid the Zora child.

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Zelda cried out in rage as the band of Bulblins ran up towards them. Some were wielding bows and arrows, while others, hard steel and cold wood in their hands, using dirty tricks to hurt Link and the Hylian soldier, Shiro. While Zelda had easily tackled some archers to the ground, Shiro and Link had taken to tackling the creatures with their spear and sword, respectively. Even as she pecked a beast, she could see Link swinging his sword from left to right, striking pain in the heart, arms, head, and even legs of the Bulblins, who each fell to the mighty blow of his blade. Shiro, too, was doing a great job keeping the Bulblins away from the carriage, striking them once or twice to make them drop to the ground defeated or dead. On one occasion, poor Shiro had been knocked off of his horse, but both the hero and hawk had gone to his aid with Link shooting arrows at the heads of coming foes, meanwhile Zelda, using a bit of that human strength she carried, knocked their enemies to the ground.

From the skies, she warned Link from any Bulblin archers, which he swiftly defeated with a single or pair of arrows shot straight at the head, chest, or arms. Shiro didn't need to be warned, however, as he kept his eyes well opened, and his spear close towards one of the Bulblin's belly or head, depending how quick he was to execute his attack. Zelda couldn't help but mentally smile at her brave soldier's bravery. Maybe, his act of courage right now, was all because of Link, he had passed on some courage from his heart to his, courage that had served him well during the trip. The hawk princess, too, felt that some of that courage had passed to her as well, seeing as she took out enemies without mercy, and watching out for any others that dared to pass by them. Soon, the gates of Kakariko were upon them, and with no enemy in sight, they could relax.

Telma was the only one out of the whole group that wasn't extremely exhausted by the time they reached the gates of Kakariko Village. Link, Shiro, and Zelda on the other hand, had injuries, yet, could still go on. Nothing a good red potion couldn't fix, Zelda thought, as they made their way inside the village, closing the gates behind them, and leaving their trek of blood and fighting behind.

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"…He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." Renado told Link, smiling a bit at the hero before him. The group had safely arrived into the village, and Renado had quickly taken Ralis to the nearest inn, to give him a bed and some well deserved rest. Ilia and Luda accompanied the Zora inside a room of the inn, while Link, Colin, Renado, and Zelda waited outside. "While he is safe for now…he…he has been crying out for his mother…mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly…" At that, Link's face fell, as did Zelda's, noticing this, Renado gave him a nod. "…I can see the knowledge grieves you…it must be an awful memory…" the shaman whispered, turning to face the Zora and the two young girls.

"…this are dark times," Link whispered, not taking his eyes off the ground. Colin seemed to understand what the hero was talking about, and quickly cried out,

"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!" All three, men and hawk, turned to face the young boy, and then, the two men, smiled. Link ruffled his golden hair with a gloved hand, while Renado nodded in agreement.

"Is that so? Thank you, Colin…"

"Yeah, Colin…you don't know the big favor you'll be doing to the kid," the hero told him, shooting a glance at Ilia. He sighed, and removed his hand from on top the boy's hair. Zelda sighed as well, Link's sadness consuming her and breaking her heart as it did so. Colin, seeing the sadden face of the hero, spoke up.

"Hey, Link, about Ilia…is it true, what they say about her?" Before Link could answer, the shaman beat him to it.

"Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task." At that, both Link and Colin grimaced, Zelda only shook her head, as if shaking away from a bad nightmare. "But it will be all right, child," Renado assured him, smiling a bit despite the situation. "If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." The young boy smiled at the shaman. Giving him a quick nod, the boy rushed to see to Luda and Ilia, that were tending to Ralis. _Courage flows everywhere, this days, _Zelda thought, watching the scene before her of the her three group of friends, helping a stranger out, not caring the species. _…courage…I had none when they took over my castle…did I? _the hawk princess sighed, catching Link's attention. He only smiled at her, while Renado excused himself.

"Nice to see there's still hope here…" came a voice from nearby. Link turned around, and faced Telma, who smiled warmly back at him. "And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts, eh?" Link gave her a nod.

"Yep. Everything may seem bad at first, but there always is a brighterday…" Telma laughed at this, leaning at a nearby wooden railing.

"Yeah, you said it, honey…nothing like helping those in need…and those skills of yours…any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?" she asked him. The hero looked at the redhead curiously, and she explained, "What hope there is in our kingdom if it is frail and dying…our princess missing," Zelda lowered her head again. What shame she felt at the moment. "but, there's still a light in the road, honey…a group trying to do what it can to save our land." Zelda and Link looked back at Telma, rather surprised by what she just told them.

"A group?"

"Yeah, and I happen to be a member in that group…any chance you go to the bar back to Hyrule, meet them…they are a nice bunch of people…" She folded both arms across her chest, and smiled at the group of kids helping Ralis heal. "I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and well, never mind about the rest…they seemed alright to me, huh?" She winked at Link, before she disappeared as soon as she had arrived, leaving Link and Zelda all alone. The two watched the scene before them for a while longer, before a familiar voice called out to them.

"_**Hero…hero…outside…"**_Hearing Rutela's ghostly call, Link had not wasted no time to go outside of the inn.

Once the hero had stepped outside of the inn, with no one around, Rutela's spirit had greeted the hero once again. She said nothing, but beckoned him and Zelda to follow him. Both could hear an exasperated sigh coming from Midna, who had stayed silent during the whole trip, apparently bored with this whole adventure. "She just can't make things easier, can she?"

"You don't want me to answer that," Link told her, as he followed the spirit of the Zora queen towards a familiar pathway. They were heading to the graveyard, although things didn't get easier from them.

Rutela's ghost guided them to the back of the graveyard, where she had taken care of opening a way for Link and Zelda to enter. It was a rather a small hole, but the two managed to fit, with Midna laughing in the background. "You don't have an idea how silly you look from there! Hahaha!"

"Very funny, Midna…" Link breathed, trying hard to pass through. Zelda only shot him a sympathetic look, before she giggled mentally at his troubles. The hero was glad when he reached the end of the pathway, which led to a small pond like area, hidden deep within the graveyard of Kakariko. Small waterfalls of water decorated the place, along with a few sapphires that glowed in the darkness.

Floating next to a strange stone with symbol of the Zoras were, Rutela guided the young warrior closer. After swimming a bit, Link reached the other side, while Zelda landed on his sword's hilt. Rutela smiled at them both, and put a ghostly hand on top of the stone. _**"Thank you, young warrior for keeping your word and aiding my son in his time of need. You were right to bring him here…Kakariko Village, you see, has always been a sacred place for us Zora people…here is where we take our eternal rest…" **_

"Glad I could help, your highness," Link told her, smiling. Midna scoffed from underneath his shadow.

"Pfft…goody-two shoes…" Zelda shook her head at Midna's senseless mocking, while Link sighed, seeing as a glare wouldn't do any good with her.

"_**Now…I shall keep my word…here…where the grave of my husband lies, is a garment that houses the abilities of the Zora…" **_Extending a pale hand over the grave, Rutela moved the stone on top of it, to reveal neatly folded clothes nearby. She nodded at Link, who took them, and examined them. They were exactly a bit like his green tunic, except blue in color…even the hat was the same, except that it had a strange mask to cover it, and even more details than the worn out tunic he wore._**"This…this was once made for the ancient hero…by my king's ancestor…who, foresaw that one day, the hero of Hyrule might need it…take it, and wear it proudly…young warrior…" **_

"I will…thank you, Queen Rutela…"

"_**No…thank you, young warrior…for helping my son…now, I can join my husband in his slumber...and yet…my son…He still knows nothing of my death…if you happen to see him again, young one…please…tell him to not grieve for his mother's passing…tell him she wanted to be brave and live as the king of our people…" **_A few tears began to fall from Rutela's pale face, as she smiled a bit. Link could hardly keep his stance straight, and Zelda, couldn't help but turn away in shame…it was her fault the woman was leaving her son behind._**"And…tell him his mother…loves…him…without end…Tell him…"**_And with those final words, the Zora Queen disappeared to her resting place in the Sacred Realm.

Link let out a sad sigh. He was being the bearer of bad news, and he hated it. Zelda knew as much. Before long, Midna appeared once more, rising from Link's shadow. "I guess that's that!" she replied, grinning a bit, as she snapped her fingers and disappeared the armor on the hero's arms. "Well, it's a good thing that you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty armor, huh? But, remember what you need to do?"

"Get that Fused Shadow," Link told her, sighing. "…why do I get the feeling this will hurt…"

"Why are you complaining for! Remember that we need those things to defeat Zant!" Midna spat venomously, making Zelda cocked her head at her, yet she said nothing. "We just finish this, and we are done, so don't worry too much!" The imp suddenly grinned again, before she winked at Zelda. "Sorry to say, bird brain, but you are staying behind…"

"Huh? Why?" the hero asked her, visibly confused by what the Twili imp said. Zelda only nodded, before she left her place on the hilt, and landed on the ground nearby.

"Well, in case you have forgotten, Mr. Hero…little bird brain here doesn't have a nifty armor to breath underwater, now, does she?" Link suddenly blinked, and said a big 'Ah!' making Midna sigh, and Zelda laugh.

"My bad…"

"Yeah, so bad! Idiot…" Link only sighed, and patted Zelda's head.

"Sorry Shannon, but Midna's got a point…for once…"

"Yeah, sure…"

"…so you have to stay behind, sorry." Zelda nodded in understanding, but she couldn't say good bye, as Link disappeared along with Midna into a million particles, and left her alone in the grave of the Zora King. The hawk princess sighed. Such a duty the hero had to follow. She was about to make her way out of the grave, when a familiar voice caught her ears…a voice, she never expected to hear again.

"_**Wait…Princess Zelda…" **_Turning around to face the grave of the Zora King, Zelda was greeted with the sight of the deceased Zora Queen.

"**Queen Rutela…how did you…?" **the hawk princess asked, unable to believe that the Queen of the Zoras had delayed her trip to the Sacred Realm just to speak with her.

"_**Even upon the possession of beasts, the eyes of your mother have no equal…" **_Rutela told her, smiling._**"It has been so long, has it not?" **_

"**Yes…of course…I would have expected our meeting to be less…remorseful…" **Zelda told her, lowering her head. Rutela noticed this action, and calmly floated towards her.

"_**Princess…do not let the guilt overwhelm you…"**_

"**But…but…it was my fault…if only I had stopped this mess…none of this would have happened.." **

"_**Do not blame yourself, child…what has happened was beyond your control…" **_Zelda only shook her head.

"**It would have been on my control if only-" **Suddenly, she felt someone lift her beak, so she was facing the pale face of the deceased Queen.

"_**There are times when our fate makes a wrong turn, princess," **_Rutela told her._**"We cannot control the outcome of that simple mistake, but can make a difference in the future…and I believe, you are making that turn…you and that hero are saving the land from evil…" **_

"**Rutela…" **The Queen of the Zoras smiled, before she began to float into the air once more.

"_**Always remember, princess…where there is light…there is hope…" **_And with those words, Rutela disappeared, leaving Zelda alone. Soon after the spirit left her presence, the hawk princess fell to the ground, and began to weep…something she had no chance of doing in a while. She wept for Link, for Midna, for Ilia, and Colin, and even for Ralis. She wept for her land, and begged the Goddesses to take care of her dearly beloved on his harsh journey underneath the sea.


	14. Chapter 14

Fyras14: Sorry for the delay again, guys...too much on my mind this past few weeks; I'm ashamed to say that I was a little lazy, however I did manage to fix and add new parts to this chapter; for example people that can still remember this scene from last time will notice the change right away.

I plan to work on a theory here. See you guys next update, which I hope comes fast, preferably by Sunday or Monday. I will be changing a bit of it.

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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_In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit._

**-Albert Schweitzer**

**-Chapter 14-**

**-The King and the Imp-**

Link looked around the underwater palace, his eyes scanning for any enemies he could not see; while he was glad that his sword and shield had not lost their purpose underwater, the hero was worried about the fact that he was slower than most of the creature's he had encountered so far, with the iron boots making his movement a little harder.

"We've just been here a few hours," Midna commented, as Link made his way towards a nearby door that he had unlocked minutes ago. "And still no sign of the Fused Shadow…hmm…I wonder who ate it this time?"

"Does it really matter?" Link asked, as the door revealed another room, with a large hole in the middle. "From the looks of things, we are going down again…"

"Yeah, yeah…so exciting," his shadow responded, sounding bored. "Hurry it up now, Mr. Hero! The faster we get that Fused Shadow the quicker we can end the mess Zant got this place in!" The hero only muttered about impatient shadows, before taking a deep breath and jumping down the hole. He was soon sinking, the armor magically attaching itself to his body and allowing him to breathe, as he slowly sunk in the darkness.

_It's getting too dark in here, for my liking…_Link thought, as he went in deeper and deeper. Something caught the corner of his eye, forcing the hero to look; he found nothing. He was alone in the darkness…or so it appeared. "…Why do I get the feeling that…?"

"…**.OOOOOUUUUUUUHHHHHH!" **A loud cry suddenly attracted the hero's attention, making him look around frantically. He still couldn't see anything.

"SWIM! FAST, SOMETHING'S COMIN'!" Link barely had a chance to hear the warning before a large snake or something of the sort, swept past him; the monster managed to hit him hard in the chest with its giant tail before it turn to face him.

"…Oh…oh….man…"

"**OOOOOOUUUUUUUHHHHHH!" **cried the beast, showing its circular teeth, as it lunged towards the hero.

"…I hate this place…"

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The only thing Link could do for now was swim.

Zelda flew above the waters of Lake Hylia, watching the strange sights.

Soon after her weeping spell in the Zora's tomb, the hawk princess had decided to go around and flew a bit in Kakariko, checking on the kids, and Ilia, and also hearing a few tidbits about Ralis's condition from Telma and Renado. Ilia, on the other hand, was still the same since Link had left to find that Fused Shadow. The children had all been very nice towards the amnesiac girl, taking their time to remind her of who she used to be, and even that knight, Shiro, had offered a helping hand.

Little Beth had told her all about the people of Ordon, hoping that would at least awaken some of her memory. It didn't work. Talo, too, tried to make her remember by telling her about a certain goat herder; it didn't do anything but make the girl wonder even more. Luda and Colin, however, still took care of Ralis, but still managed to say hello to Ilia when she came to see how Ralis was doing. Malo, Talo's little brother, was nowhere to be found, but if Zelda had to guess, she would assume the young man was running business in one of the abandoned shops, which she found out was named Malo Mart. Gorons, too, populated the small village, and waved when they say her flying in the sky, recognizing her as the small hawk that had accompanied the hero when he saved Darbus, who Zelda could have sworn had been wandering the village.

It didn't take a while to land in a nearby house, looking at some Zora nearby, all talking about some guy with a blue tunic entering their sacred temple hours ago. Zelda only hoped that Link was safe, and prayed for the Goddesses to be merciful on his journey and safe re—

"**SHANNON!" **The loud cry of a raven suddenly shook Zelda out of her reverie; Kaepora Gaebora landed just beside her.

"**Kaepora! Whatever is wrong?" **she asked the raven, who could only shake its head and point his beak towards Laky Hylia.

"**You must go, now! Princess of Destiny!" **Kaepora Gaebora cried. **"You must leave! Hurry!" **the raven went on. **"There is not much time! Go, Ruler of Hyrule, to the Lanaryu Spring! QUICKLY!" **Before Zelda could even begin to comprehend what the raven was saying, the bird was flying towards the spring; the hawk princess soon followed after the raven, asking,

"**Who are you? How do you know who I am?" **Zelda demanded, but the raven didn't answer as it suddenly disappeared into light causing the hawk princess to cry out in surprise.

"_**Hurry!" **_came Kaepora Gaebora's voice. _**"The hero and his companion need you!" **_And then, the voice was gone but that was enough.

Zelda didn't need to be told twice that Link and Midna were in danger; her questions could come back later.

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Midna smirked as another Fused Shadow was safely in her possession. She had to admit, having that light dweller around with her had really served its purpose. Not that many of the light dwellers could actually showoff the fact that they took care of a giant sea monster, and underwater to boot! Now, with all the Fused Shadows in hand, she was ready to beat that bastard. Zant. How she despised to even call him that name. Calling him King was even worse than anything else, as it was an insult to everything precious. She almost felt sorry for that princess Zelda, almost, being one of the many casualties of the supposed king's greed, not like it was her business, anyway, the light dweller had brought that to herself.

Although Midna had to admit, that light dweller, Link wasn't half bad. She had come to admire the kid for his bravery, and despite all the insults, he had not opt to cut her in two with that sword of his. That bird, Shannon, too, had been quite friendly…and rather strange, but Midna couldn't be too sure if that was just her normal bird brain behavior as she understood nothing that the small hawk said. Shannon was, like her master, brave and kind, finding Midna's insults rude, but kept to herself like a real lady, which was odd, because that hawk was definitely no lady..she wasn't a human after all. The hawk, too, had even offered ideas to Link, as the hero had revealed to her that it had been Shannon that had requested they use their welcoming gift from Death Mountain, when Midna had asked him.

She and Link finally made it back to the spring, the hero still wearing the Zora Armor, which made him look a little silly on Midna's opinion, and she didn't mind stating it once in a while, throughout their whole adventure in the temple. However, coming back here would be the worst mistake ever…unfortunately, Midna didn't know it yet.

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Midna watched uninterested as Link and herself finally arrived at the spring. Link sighed in relief, glad to have returned back in one piece. Fighting underwater wasn't the greatest experience, and the Twili imp couldn't agree more. The hero faced the spring, and smiled, before he turned around and—

"Ah!" Link hardly noticed the Twili towering over him, until it was already too late. The hero looked back at the tall figure of Zant, the Twilight King, as he stared back at Link with that strange helmet of his. Midna took a defensive position within Link's shadow, knowing full well that this was going to end badly. Both hero and king faced off against each other, before the spring behind them began to glow. Midna had to switch her position within Link's shadow to see, and was rather surprised, when that giant snake, Lanaryu, got up from its spring, and cried back at Zant, holding a ball of light within its mouth. Lanaryu screeched at Zant, but the Twili King only raised a hand, and with strange force unknown to them, pushed the spirit of light against the wall. Lanaryu crashed against its sacred walls, before it fell back to the spring. Link had also received some of that force straight to his face, and now, he lay half conscious, as the Twilight took over the area.

Midna quickly got out of Link's shadow, as the latter transformed into a wolf. The imp sat nearby the half conscious wolf, and then, glared back at the evil king of the Twilight. "ZANT!" Midna cried, showing her small fang at him. Zant only chuckled under his mask, as with another swing of his hand, used some unknown telepathic power to make Midna float in the air. The imp yelped in surprise, as she floated over the small spring. She tried to shake off whatever force held her flying in place, but to no avail. Midna heard another chuckle from the evil King, and watched as the three pieces of Fused Shadows appeared before her eyes, and then, floated towards the king. Zant seemed to look at the pieces of the Fused Shadow for a while, before he laughed at Midna.

"Did you honestly believed that an ancient and withered power like this could be used against me!" The pieces flew behind him, and then, disappeared, much to the surprise of Midna. "You are a foolish traitor, my dear Midna…why do you defy your own king?" he asked her. Midna only glared at him, and struggled against her unseen chains.

"MY KING! You who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe! You have to be kidding me!" she cried, as she tried to free herself.

"How dare you! Are you implying that this great power is our old magic?" Zant asked her, and then, gave an humorless laugh. "NOW THAT IS A JOKE!" Suddenly, Midna floated in the air, behind him, and then, slammed against the ground. The imp cried in pain, as Twilight King laughed, as if she were a mere toy to be meddle with. "This power was granted to me by my god! And you will respect it!" Zant cried, forming some strange red ball of magic from his chest, his covered face facing Midna, ready to throw his attack at her. Suddenly, out of the blue, and much to Midna's surprise, Link jumped on Zant, and tried to bite him, only to receive the end of the ball of red light, and fall to the ground, weakened by the attack he had forcefully received.

"LINK!" Midna cried, going to his side, seeing something strange and black sticking in his forehead. She tried in vain to remove it from his head, but only looked on in shock as it went deep into his body, forever out of her grasp. The imp quickly tried to wake up the fallen wolf, but was quickly dragged back to the air again, her back facing Zant. The evil one crept closer to her, so that his mouth was close to her head.

"My Midna," he whispered sweetly, yet angrily in her ear. "have you forgotten? This beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people. No matter how much you desire otherwise, you are nothing but a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!" Midna only stared at Link, trying in vain to ignore Zant's words. "But…if we can make their world ours, both light and darkness can mix…at last…our tribe will take back this realm, and darknesswill destroy this light!" Midna stayed silent, frowning and thinking hard. "And that, Midna, is why…" Zant told her, whispering even lower, and removing part of his helmet so that sharp teeth could be seen. "I need you…" The small imp only glanced at him, not daring to move. "Not just for me…but for all our people. Lend me your power." Midna, in a sudden and surprising movement, shook her unseen chains away, and floated towards Link, causing Zant to growl in anger.

"Never have I heard such disgusting things in my life, you bastard!" Midna cried, patting Link on his head to wake him up. "I shall never join you!"

"So be it! I shall return you to that world of light, you so MUCH COVET!" Midna was raised up in the air, and dragged to the spring. The imp finally realized what Zant was going to do, and watched in mixed horror as the spirit was forced out of the spring. He was going to kill her, using Lanaryu's light!

Midna tried a desperate attempt to shake herself off, not wanting to die. She could feel the rays of light begin to touch her, as Lanaryu's frantic screeches were heard, trying like her to get out of Zant's grasp. Midna stopped struggling, her end near, not caring if she heard Zant grunt suddenly, she knew that her end was near, so the imp closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She could feel the light getting closer and closer, until a loud cry caught her by surprise. Opening her eyes, she saw the bright brown wings of a hawk in front of her. Midna gasped, realizing what the hawk was doing. Using her own body, Shannon was protecting the imp from the light spirit's light. Small particles of white light began to spread from Shannon's glowing white body towards the imp, which amazed Midna even more. How? What? Who?

"YOU!" Zant cried, taking a few steps back as he watched the hawk defend Midna. The imp was utterly confused of what Zant meant, for she was still watching the small white particles float and be absorbed by her body.

"_MIDNA!" _cried a voice from inside her head. It was rich, and powerful, yet gentle and serene. A goddess? _"Accept half of my light, now! This shall protect you!" _Half of her light? What the heck was she talking about?

Midna soon realized what the voice meant, for after all the white particles were absorbed within her body, that burning sensation was gone. Shannon flapped her wings hard, as if trying to shake awake in front of the imp, before she was attacked by a red ball of light.

"PRINCESS ZELDA!" Midna didn't have any time to be shocked, as she began to disappear in flash of light, followed by Shannon and Link. She only managed to hear the loud cry of anger from Zant before everything turned dark.

The next time Midna opened her eyes, she and Link, along with Shannon, who was lying weakly nearby, with some bruises and cuts, were on Hyrule Field. Link was shaking off his unconsciousness from his face, and then, let out a loud gasp when he saw the hawk lying hurt in the ground. Midna examined her body, and then, turned to face the hawk, who was talking to the wolf, wondering what she did or better yet, what had Princess Zelda done?

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It was deep into nightfall that the beasts decided to camp. Just moments ago, they had heard the message of Lanaryu, who ordered them to go to the Faron Spring in order to aid Link and turn him back to a human.

Midna glanced at the hawk, once or twice, as she was settling into the ground, as Link went to look for food around the area for both of them, as the imp had politely declined eating. Once Link was out of earshot, the Twili imp floated towards the bird, and began to examine her all around. Shannon only looked at her patiently, not really crying out or anything. She didn't even blink. Midna, done with her inspection, calmly floated back to the ground. "Thanks…for helping me…" Shannon nodded. "But…who are you, really? You are no normal bird…"

"_Just like you are no normal Twili," _came that voice inside of her head again. _"…you are correct in saying I am no normal beast…"_ Midna gave Shannon a suspicious look, that the bird ignored. _"I was once a human…I was cursed to this form by the one you call Zant," _she explained through Midna's mind. The imp seemed to understand this explanation, and only came out to one conclusion; one she found hard to believe.

"You are…?"

"_Yes…I am…Princess Zelda…or I was once…" _Midna could hardly believe what she had heard. All this time, she had been with them! How could she not notice! Her surprise ended as quick as it came.

"But…why? Why did you hide from me and Link?" the imp demanded, crossing her small arms over her chest. The hawk, Zelda, turned her head to the ground, and the imp somehow regretted in using such a tone to the person that saved her life.

"_It was…necessary that I did not reveal myself to you…that way, Zant wouldn't have another reason to get rid of you…but, it seems my plan failed…" _

"So…you were hiding from Zant, all this time?" A nod. "...so…rumors of your death were just that…rumors?" Another nod.

"_Yes…once Zant cursed me with his evil magic…I was…able to flee…however, seeing as the princess was no longer in the palace, my people assumed the worst." _

"But…why would Zant-"

"_I do not know..." _came Zelda's reply. _"he was doing it on the orders of his god, who you must have heard of…he told me I had something that belonged to him…" _

"Like what?"

"_This…" _Extending her wings, so her feathered chest would be exposed. Seconds passed, and then, a strange triangle mark, like the one she had seen in Lanaryu's spring. It glowed in a bright golden color. _"…this mark…gives me great magical abilities…I was able to give you the ability to becoming part of this world with this…mark…" _Midna looked at her hands once more, and then back at Zelda.

"But…how?"

"_I managed to transfer half of my light to you…without destroying my body in the process…now, you can walk this world of light…" _

"But…why did you-" She heard a small laugh in her head, the hawk shaking her head at her.

"_Midna…take it as a gift…for helping Link in his journey in saving my land…which I could not save from Zant..." _The mark on her chest was gone, and Zelda covered her body with her wings once more. _" Nothing will happen to me, without half my light…since I can use my magic to keep me full…" _Zelda explained, as she saw Midna's concerned look. _"Once your body is free…my light will be returned to me…" _

"Free? You mean…you know who I am?"

"_I can only guess…but I assume Zant has done some terrible magic to you, as well…Midna…take my light as a gift to help you, nothing more." _

"But…I-I can't just accept this…"

"_Please do, Midna…I can feel your suffering, as well…do not belittle my gift, please, I beg of you…and please…do not reveal my secret to Link…" _

"Why?"

"_You will be doing me a great favor if you kept my identity to yourself…please…" _Midna was about to ask her more, when Link began to approach them, holding some branches on his mouth, that had some red berries attached to it.

As the two animals ate, Midna realized why Zelda wanted her to keep it a secret…she was just like her…ashamed to be known by the world…but, while Midna was ashamed of the form she took, and the consequences that came with it, what was Zelda ashamed of, exactly?


	15. Chapter 15

Fyras14: Hello folks! New chapter is here...this one too, had a few minor changes, but at least it is done. Anyway, I have good news and bad news regarding later updates:

The good news is that well, most of the chapters from here and out will be, if not entirely rewritten, will only get minor changes and I will check a few grammatical errors, if I dont miss them.

The bad news is...well, the laptop's screen is dying on me...simply put, the screen goes white or black in certain cases...as I still havent saved up my stories in a USB, for the time being. However, I managed to get a temporary screen for my laptop, but this has to eventually get fixed, so if no updates come your way for a while it means my laptop is getting fixed. Not that I can't provide you anymore updates, though, but I prefer to work on my laptop than any other computer...but, I will try.

Expect a new chapter in at least two weeks (Since I want to fix other chapters while I'm at it.)

Enjoy!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

* * *

_The way to overcome the angry man is with gentleness, the evil man with goodness, the miser with generosity and the liar with truth._

**-Indian Proverb**

**-Chapter 15-**

**-Swords, Games, and Puppets-**

Link gave a mournful sigh, as he carried the injured hawk on his back, and Midna hid in his shadow. Yesterday's events had had an awful effect on all of them, particularly Shannon. Midna had told him how the small hawk had saved her life by getting in front of her, covering her from the light of Lanaryu that could have killed her. In turn, it seems that the small imp absorbed some of that light into her body, how she did it, even the imp couldn't explain. _"Don't know…" _was all the small imp whispered after Link looked at her questionably. Midna soon hid on his shadow, saying that even though she could stand light, that didn't mean she couldn't bother him from within his own shadow. Now, they were on the road again, Link going as slowly as possible to not upset the sleeping hawk. Even though Shannon wasn't as hurt as before when Link had first found her on the spring, he knew not to take things lightly. His encounter with Zant had taught him much.

Now, all three of them were on their way to Faron Woods, but Link feared they wouldn't reach them until nightfall, and that is what worried him the most. With nightfall came monsters, and with monsters came a lot of bruises, cuts, and even death. The monsters of the night took advantage of many things. From little children to old men, from small squirrels to predator wolves, like him. Hence, they wouldn't find anything comical of seeing a predator carry what was most likely its dinner on its back as if they were best of friends. Midna had made a comment about it, though, and Link had found it quite amusing. He knew that she was just trying to lighten his mood, and broken body, with the small joke(or insult, knowing her, that's what she probably meant). However, her worries were more on Shannon than on him, as Midna could clearly see that the wolf could hold well, after all, she noticed he had a thicker hide.

He found it quite funny how in one day, Midna had turned from calling the hawk from 'bird brain' to Shannon. Probably it was the respect she felt for this animal, because Shannon had saved her life. Without her, the poor imp would have not survived her encounter with Zant, which she didn't want to talk about, whatsoever.

Link glanced at the sleeping hawk, cuddle close to his face, wondering how such a small creature could be so strong…and so, wise, if he dare say so. In fact, he had always wondered why Shannon had never been affected by the twilight, as it had affected those others that had been ones with that darkness. He very much assumed that it must be some sort of power the hawk had within her that she didn't have the slightest clue about. That made sense, in his mind. Maybe, she, as a beast, had also been chosen to carry out this quest with him. But why a beast, most of all, a hawk would be chosen to fight the Twilight King and save Hyrule, was up to anyone's guess. Midna had not even questioned why, either, as she had assumed the same. In fact, the wolf didn't know anything about the small hawk sleeping on his back, not where she came from, if she had another master, or something of that sort. The hawk was a complete mystery to him, but, Link wasn't going to dwell too much on it. Animals had a better will than a humans', if they had to go somewhere, they'll go, their only reason will be to go and see the world, then survive. He wasn't going to start gossiping with a hawk, that probably had no clue of human affairs, but apart from Midna, Shannon was like a good friend, a friend he'll feel miserable without.

And so, they went into the woods, as the night finally had overtaken the kingdom of Hyrule, who awaited rescue at the hands of a wolf, a hawk, and an imp.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It took Link a full two hours to finally reach the spring, having run-ins with some of the creatures that dwelled in the forest. Midna had aided him in the fight, by taking care of the creatures, as he pretty much couldn't attack well with a hawk on his back. Shannon, now awake, had apologized to Link for not being helpful to him, but the wolf had simply said to not worry about it. He knew that she was in pain, and risking herself again like when she did with Zant would only worsen her injuries. The hawk seemed to understand the explanation, and remained silent as they reached the spring.

The spring had been the same since the last time Link saw it, when he returned the light to the spirit, of course. It had not taken long for the spirit of Faron to sense their presence, and the spirit revealed itself to them. The huge figure of a squirrel nodded at Link and Shannon, before Link spoke. **"Great spirit…please, I…I need your help…" **

_Indeed you do, child…your true form has been sealed by the powerful magic of the Twilight King…but, I cannot heal you._

"**But, why! You helped me last time, no?" **Link's face fell when he saw the spirit shake his head at him.

_I fear this time is different…what binds you now is a different kind of magic, one different from the one that belongs to the realm of darkness…_

"He's probably talking about that strange magic of Zant's," Midna whispered from his shadow. Link and Shannon glanced at each other for a while, as if thinking about something. Faron, however, interrupted their thoughts.

_You are correct, child of Twilight…it is a strange and unfamiliar magic for you…but engraved with evil…_Faron looked straight into Link's eyes, which made the wolf uncomfortable, for some reason; maybe its wide white eyes had something to do with it. _This evil covers you like a veil, and my power or that of my brethren is not enough to destroy it…_Link looked down at the ground. If even the light spirits couldn't help him did that mean that he will forever remain a beast? _…however, _spoke the spirit again, catching Link's attention. The wolf turned to face the spirit so fast, Shannon panicked and almost fell. Noticing his mistake, Link whispered a small 'sorry'. The hawk only shook her head, and told him to not worry about it. Faron chuckled a bit at seeing this scene, before moving on. _Deep within this woods, there is a place known as the Sacred Grove, hero…_

"**The Sacred Grove?" **

_Yes…deep within the Sacred Grove lies a weapon of great power…the Blade of Evil's Bane… _

"**But, how would a sword help me?" **Link asked, wondering what was so great about this strange weapon Faron spoke about.

_The blade is a sacred weapon, one that evil can never touch…the veil of evil that surrounds you can be dispelled by this blade…this evil will forever leave your body, and you will return to your true self… _

"**Ah…but, is it really that simple?" **Faron chuckled at Link's question. It appeared that the spirit sounded rather amused by the fact that Link had not believed in his words…Faron supposed that was expected. Who would ever count on a sacred blade to return one to their true form, anyway?

…_this blade will aid you, child…it has the power to repel the evil that rests around your body, and release you from its clutches…now, allow me to heal your injuries, young ones…_Link looked puzzled at what the spirit was saying, before he felt a strange sensation upon his whole body. Before he knew it, the mild pain he had felt moments ago had disappeared, and he could feel something flapping nearby. When Link finally began to look around, he saw that Shannon hovering nearby, her injuries all gone, and her strength returned. _There…and now, my job has been finished…have a safe journey, young ones…and…beware of the blood that spills within you…_Link looked at the spirit quizzically, but didn't ask anything, as the light of the spirit diminished, and moments later, the spring was no longer shinning with its light.

From his shadow, Midna quickly appeared, and took her place on top of Link, much to the latter's surprise. "Well, I guess we have to go to this Sacred Grove, then, so we can turn you back…huh?"

"**Well…I don't suppose we can't stay here and do nothing." **Link told her, then looked at Shannon. **"Are you already to go, Shannon?" **

"**Oh…yes…the strange one did something extraordinary to me…and I no longer feel pain." **Link gave her a grin, which looked like a snarl. Of course, Shannon wouldn't know who the spirits were, she was, after all, not a religious type of animal. **"But…if I may ask…what are these 'Sacred Grove' the strange one spoke about, hmm?" **Link nodded at Shannon's ignorance, maybe she understood certain things if they didn't have a name to accompany them, as most humans needed.

"**They're some woods, or a forest, or something like that around here…we have to get to them to get me back to normal," **the wolf explained. He received a sudden, 'Oh' from Shannon, but, he was rather surprised by what the hawk said next.

"**Perhaps I can assist you…you see, while I was looking for you after the evil ones attacked your home, I managed to find my way…deeper into the woods…"**

"**Deeper?" **Shannon nodded.

"**Would you like me to show you?" **

* * *

Midna had been extremely glad that Zelda had found a way to get deeper into the woods, and was very much thankful to her for translating what she and Link were saying to her mind. The imp assumed that it was too much work for the hawk princess to do, but Zelda assured her that it was a simple matter. In fact, according to the princess, healing injuries took a lot of magic power out of her, and was the hardest spell she had to learn. With her form as it was, however, the only things that Zelda could do was communicate through telepathy and give out her light with the use of her strange mark that glowed in golden light. She remembered seeing one in Link's paw, or hand, when he was being dragged by a Shadow Beast back in the day, and she wondered if they were the same.

She didn't dwell too much on it, however, as Zelda led Link through the many trees, straight back near that temple where they had found their first Fused Shadows. (1)

"_This is the place?" _Link asked the hawk princess, as he looked at the huge trees, and the bottomless pit down below. He backed away a little, and looked back at the bird hovering above both him and Midna, who, was looking down at the huge hole before them.

"_Yes…more green trees decorate the sight beyond here…I managed to get a little farther up ahead, before I realized I was going to get lost…so I returned to the Ordon Spring…" _

"_Ah, I get it…so, I guess we just got lucky…" _

"Well, let's get going then…the bird already told you where to go, huh?" Midna asked Link, feigning ignorance as if she hadn't understood what they had said. The wolf looked down below, and gulped, before he used the nearby branches of the great trees that were sticking out in the open. He gulped. Midna noticed this, and patted his head, affectionately. "Aw…what's the matter? Afraid of heights?"

"…_I wanna see you in my place," _Link growled at her, making Midna laughed. Even without the use of Zelda's magical abilities, she could pretty much understand what Link was saying thanks to him showing her his white and sharp teeth.

"You worry too much!"

"_And you don't?" _Link and Zelda asked together, making the imp roll her eyes.

"Look, if you fall, I can transport you back here…it's not like," she looked down at the pit below. "You'll fall to your death. You have me around to make sure that doesn't happen."

"_Such reassuring words…" _Link grumbled sarcastically, as he carefully made his way towards the branches that either meant, certain relief or doom.

"_You like to torture him, do you?" _came Zelda's voice to her mind, as soon as Link jumped to the second branch. Midna gave her a small chuckle, before she answered back, using her thoughts as the princess taught her.

"_Well, can't deny that its fun!" _Midna grinned when she heard Zelda give a mental chuckle of her own. _"Still," _the imp said, after Zelda went silent. _"I suppose I'm hard on him…" _

"_You suppose? Is that a way of showing friendliness?" _Zelda asked her, watching in amused silence as Link tripped on his own feet as he landed on top of the branch.

"_Maybe." _

Zelda only sighed, and flew down, to what was now, the other side of the woods. Link gave a long jump, before he fell to the ground, four legs extended to his sides, belly on the ground.

"_Thank you, Farore…" _he whispered, panting, more in relief than in desperation. Midna and Zelda both laughed at the wolf's action.

"Hahaha! I gotta admit, Link, this has been your greatest feat ever! Hahaha!"

"_Hahaha…very funny, Midna…" _Link told her, as he finally got up from the ground, and finished his praying. Midna only chuckled as they went on their way.

* * *

When Link and the others had reached what it seemed, the heart of the forest, they had were left with their mouths hanging open, well, beak as the case was with Shannon, when they saw the wonderful forest before them. It was completely devoid of light, and what little light shown through the thick leaves of the trees, was so little, Link could hardly see. Trees covered every single area he lay his eyes on, with few insects flying from one side of a tree, only to land into another. In the middle of this 'heart of the forest' lay an even larger tree than the ones he and the hawk were looking at. Link and Shannon examined the small area around, but found that they could not leave the small area, unless they came back from where they came from, as the trees acted like walls around them all. **"Well…this is just wonderful…" **Link grumbled as he examined the place one more time.

"**It is too thick here…almost impossible to fly," **the hawk told him, as she landed nearby, and looked around with her blue, unnatural, eyes examining the trees and vines around the area. **"harder to find a path not covered by green, as well…it would appear that this is where the road ends." **

"**Yeah…but, that's not a good thing…we haven't found any blade y—Shannon?" **The wolf watched as Shannon raised a wing to silence him. Before Link could open his mouth, Midna hissed at him to shut up. Apparently whatever the hawk had heard, Midna had heard it, too.

"…listen…" Midna whispered to his ear. Raising his wolf ears up, Link could catch the faintest sound of a melody. Some strange, yet, cheerful melody that emanated from somewhere around the place. _**What's that? **_the hero thought, as he began to walk around the plays, Shannon hovered not too far away from him, apparently inspecting the place as well. _**That sound…hmm…its coming from up, **_Link and Shannon both exchanged glances, and then looked up at the huge tree that stood before them.

"**There?" **they said in unison. As if their words, or barks and cries, had been a password, something jumped towards them from the shadows high above them. Link and Shannon quickly moved away, ready to fight whoever dared to appear.

"What in the world?"

The strange creature that stood before them had a strange set of orange clothes, accompanied by a weird top hat. His face had on a devilish grin that showed sharp yellow teeth, and its eyes seemed empty of any emotion, and its face, and possibly its whole body, seemed to be made out of dead wood. On one hand, the creature carried a lamp that was light in a strange white, and pure light, while in the other he held something that looked like a very large and strange flute, or at least, that's what it looked like. "Heheheee! Hello, creatures of the forest!" it laughed, dancing in its spot, moving from left to right, using the voice of a wicked child. "If you follow me," it said, making Link and the others turn curious eyes on the creature. "I'll show you something nice! Heehee!" Both beasts and imp looked at each other, as if debating if they should follow the strange creature. Before they could debate long enough, however, the creature took its strange flute up to its mouth, and blew on it, releasing millions of dead leaves from within it. After the creature was done blowing his strange instrument, from out of the shadows of the trees, strange wooden creatures, similar to the one standing before them, but larger, and without clothes on, appeared. They had the creature's same face, but moved in a strange matter, as if they were dancing. They also appeared to be held by something from above them, like some sort of string. "First we play a game, though!" the creature told them, smirking, as the strange creatures approached Link and his companions, who were all ready to fight. "Find me, and I'll show where that nice sword rests!"

Link barely managed to contain his shock, before he attacked one of the creatures. Shannon slammed her beak against one of them, creating a small hole. The creature collapse to the ground, and then, was dragged back to the shadows by its strange strings. Link had no trouble in getting rid of the other two creatures that stood before them. They, too, were dragged back to where they came from.

"He's getting away!" Midna cried, catching the attention of the two animals. They saw that strange creature running away from them, laughing as he ran. Link and Shannon looked at the creature in confusion, as it pretty much was going to a dead end. Only when the saw the wall of wood disappear as the creature took a step towards it, did they realize what he meant by…playing a game. Link ran towards the hole, with Shannon flying behind him, fearing that the hole will disappear from their sight again. Passing through it, they were surprised to see even more trees and vines, and they also saw the strange creature not too far away. It jumped up and down, laughing, as a group of those strange creatures fell from the shadows above them. This ones, however, were different than the ones that had attacked them earlier.

"Fun! Fun! Fun! Heeeheee!" the creature cried, blowing on his flute as the other puppet creatures went to attack Shannon and Link. He created that melodious and happy sound again as a background, as Link bit down the puppets, while Shannon pecked them to destroy them. Midna used her strange orange hair, and grabbed one of them, to throw it against another of those puppet monsters. After finishing up with the puppets, the creature stopped playing his flute, before he began to run away again. "Heeehheee! Catch me if you can!" Midna gritted her teeth, as Link and Shannon went after the little creature before they lost sight of him.

"What is this thing trying to do!" she asked to no one in particular. "Get us lost, or kill us?"

"**Both!" **Link cried, spotting the creature deeper into the forest. The creature only smirked at them, and then, called out his puppet friends. The pattern seem to go on for hours and hours, until he and Shannon arrived to what it appeared some ruins, of course, they had no time to look around because they were too busy not trying to get killed by the strange puppets that other creature sent their way.

However, soon, they realized that the strange creature was leading them to the inside of a strange group of ruins. The puppets no longer appeared, and the creature stopped at the front of what seemed to be a great door…or what remained of it, anyway. Behind the strange doorway, stairs that led to a higher ground remained. The creature danced in front of what remained of the doorway, before it cried out, "You found me! Heeeheee! Bye bye! Heeheee!" Jumping high up in the air, the creature twirled before their eyes, and disappeared in a bundle of leaves. Once he was gone, Link and the others exchanged confused looks.

"Okay, now…that was weird…" Midna said, speaking what was on everyone's mind at that moment.

"**You're telling me," **Link whispered, and then, decided to see what was beyond the stairs. Followed closely by Shannon, who hovered close by, Link made his way up towards that mysterious platform that lay before them.

Taking cautious steps for fear of being attacked once again by that strange creature, Link made his way slowly towards the steps, followed closely by the hawk. When they reached the end of the stairs, the group was greeted by another open space, well, if one weren't to count the trees that covered the area to be parts of the roof that once belonged to this great temple, or palace. **"Link! Look!" **Shannon cried, flapping her wings frantically as she was pointing with her beak. Link followed her gaze(and beak), and found out the object that she was pointing at.

A sword with a beautiful blue hilt and golden diamond upon it, lay shinning beautifully nearby. The blade was stuck perfectly into a pedestal, that appeared to be glowing along with the steel of the sword. Link, realizing that that sword was the thing that would get him out of this mess, went towards it. It didn't take long for Link to feel the changes…and everything seemed to glow around him…trapping him, with a brilliant light. He hardly heard the yells of confusion coming from Midna and Shannon, as the change was upon him.

* * *

1-Note: Since this part is from Midna's POV, she will be able to understand what Link and Zelda are saying, but I will use the font which indicates telepathic speech, if you know what I mean…remember, as it says earlier, Zelda is basically translating what she and Link are saying to Midna…I hope this isn't too confusing…when the POV changes to Link, however, the font will be in bold. Zelda and Midna will both remain in telephatic speech, in certain places.


	16. Chapter 16

**Fyras14: **Fyras here! Sorry for the mayor delay guys...but, my laptop's screen died a couple of days after posting the last chapter and well, it had to go to the doctor, as I posted on my profile...and well, a few problems arose with the updating...I finally found a way to fix my USB...unfortunately, the folders that saved my stories are a mess...I was working on two computers at a time...but gave up after I figured out this was much of a hassle...I decided to wait until my laptop came back so I was a little busy writing another story I had left behind months ago...and then, my laptop came back! YEAH!

Unfortunately, my laptop is a little broken, so I can't close it and open the computer as I please...so it will have to stay at home while I go to school...and since I will be going out wiht my parents in a couple of days...updates will be stopped...however, I plan to post the next chapter in a couple of days, changing a few things and that...so it might take a while.

Take care!

**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

* * *

_The flow of time is always cruel... Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it... A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..._

**-Sheik, Ocarina of Time**

**-Chapter 16-**

**-Blade of Evil's Bane-**

It was the strangest sensation ever; his skin, he could feel it burning, tears falling out of his eyes, he was blind! Blind! But…he felt no pain, no fear, no…nothing. It was as if he was barely taking a bath, taking away all the grim and hurt and feeling it…but, his skin was becoming colder…normal, his eyes were tearless and all-seeing, everything was right.

When Link opened his eyes moments later, his body felt normal, felt right…was less…wait a minute…It didn't take long for the hero to notice the change, and with a incredulous look, stared at himself. Blinking once and twice, Link noticed his brown boots, the green tunic, his arms, his legs, his hair—he was back to normal!—and then, the sword on his hand. The sword, which seconds ago lay on the pedestal with its beautiful blue hilt and golden diamond, was in his hand.

Behind him, Midna and Shannon were also staring, simply mesmerized by the act in whole. "Whoa…now that is some powerful blade," the imp commented, taking a few cautious steps towards Link, as if fearing that if the sword touched her she would also disappear. "Guess that spirit was right after all. You're back to normal!" She looked up as Link removed the Ordon Sword from the sheath on his back, and replaced it with the blue-hilted sword; Midna only snapped her fingers, putting the Ordon Sword away in the shadows.

Link nodded. "Yeah…it's good to be back…too—hey, what's that?" The hero looked in confusion as Midna suddenly picked out a strange sharp rock colored black from the ground near his feet. The imp examined the rock and looked back at him.

"This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you," she explained. "This is definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic," Midna went on, as Link kneeled to her height to see the rock closer. The imp, in turn, kept it away from his touch. "Careful now, Mr. Hero!" she warned. "Unless you're so anxious to get back on being a wolf, I wouldn't recommend touching it!" Link quickly got up, no longer curious. "This thing's too dangerous, though…it's probably for the best we leave it here, huh?"

"…You're going to take it either way, aren't you?"

"Sure! If we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted, but you'll be able to turn human, too, with that sword around….and since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can!"

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to hurt my back?" Midna only laughed, as Shannon decided to make her home on the sword's hilt, as the hero shook his head. "Well, anyway, we might as well get going…there's nothing else for us to do here…" Link turned to leave, only to be stopped by a small hand on his shoulder.

"Wait…Link…I've got a little favor to ask…" Midna said, a bit too shyly for the hero's liking. Link turned around, and faced the small imp, who had her hands on her back, and was looking at the ground as a child caught red-handed. "Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight?"

"Mirror of Twilight?"

"Yes…somewhere, hiding in Hyrule is the Mirror of Twilight…the last link to the Twilight Realm…and Zant!" Midna clenched her fist, and then sighed. "So…what do you say? I know I made you search for Fused Shadows and all that…but, right now…we need to defeat Zant at all costs, and release this land off his evil…" Link smiled, and nodded at her. He could feel Shannon shifting a bit on his new sword's hilt.

"Well, you can count on us," he said, pointing at himself and Shannon. "that guy has already caused enough trouble. And besides," the hero's face darkened. "he owes us." Midna grinned up at Link, and nodded.

"Then, let's get out of here! I'll get you as far as Faron Woods, then!" Midna was about to snap her fingers, when suddenly a wicked voice of a child caught their ears.

"Heehee! Leaving so soon? Heehee!" Turning around, the group spotted that weird creature that had led them to the sword, smiling as he twirled above a pillar. They were rather surprised as they noticed a young girl with long green hair and a dress colored in different shades of green, leaning against that same pillar. She smiled at them as the creature jumped down, and turn to face her.

"See! See!" he cried, laughing. "Heehee! I promised I would get them here, sis! Hee!" The girl clapped her hands together, smiling kindly at the creature.

"Thank you, Skull Kid! That was very kind of you," the girl told him, getting a wicked laugh from the creature, Skull Kid, before he jumped. He floated above the pillar for a while, smiling at Link and the others before he slowly disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"You're welcome, sis! Goody Bye! Heehee…" he called from somewhere deep in the forest.

Everyone was quiet for a while before Midna bluntly asked the girl, "Who are you?"

"Me?" the girl asked, pointing at herself, before blushing in embarrassment as if she had forgotten something. "Oh…I'm sorry…my manners are just terrible," she smiled again. "My name is…Saria," the girl, Saria, told them. "and I guard this forest…"

"You…you guard this forest?" Link asked her, to which Saria nodded.

"Yes…I am a spirit that guards over this sacred groove…waiting…"

"Waiting?" the imp asked.

"Waiting for the wielder of the Master Sword to come," she said, looking at Link and Shannon. "We, Skull Kid and I, guard this forest…making sure those with corrupted hearts never enter this sacred meadow…" Saria walked towards them, before stopping a couple of feet away from the pedestal where the Master Sword once stood. "We have waited until one worthy of the title of hero appeared to reclaim it…" The girl suddenly disappeared, appearing next to Link, almost spooking the three of them. Saria smiled at them, muttering a small sorry their way. "I have been waiting for you, hero," she went on. "Link…the hero chosen by the Goddesses…wielder of the blade of evil's bane…a sword that many mortal men sought after…and one that has been sleeping in this place ever since…in the ruins of this forgotten temple."

"Temple?" the hero asked, getting a nod from Saria.

"The Temple of Time…a sacred place embodied with time itself…the resting place of the Master Sword…" Saria turned to face Link. "I believe you already know what this sword is capable of, do you, Link?"

"Yes…the spirit of Faron told me this...sword has the power to banish evil," he pointed at himself. "I believe it."

"…Yes…a blow from the Master Sword can banish any evil…even the strongest of foes…even one such as the evil King of the Twilight, who has brought chaos and darkness to this land of Hyrule…" The girl shook her head. "But having the sword's power won't be enough, if you can't fight your enemy in his world…"

"…so you heard, huh? About the Mirror?" Midna asked, to which Saria nodded.

"The Mirror of Twilight is an ancient relic that was hidden a really long time ago by a group of Wise Men and Women…if you cannot find that mirror…you will not be able to stop the King…" She pointed towards the distance. "Out there…there lay clues to the mirror's whereabouts…look for those willing to give you aid…those that might have an answer…like that woman…Telma."

"Telma?" the hero asked, looking at the girl, who had her back turned.

"Go to her, Link…and there, you will find the answers you seek…" Saria turned to face them, a sad smile on her face. "Be careful…and beware of the thief from the desert…" The girl, then, turned away and began to walk into the forest.

"Wait! Who is the thief of the desert?" Saria only turned to stare at him, sadly, before a sudden wind, blew her away, leaving nothing behind. Link and the others looked at the spot the small girl had been moments ago, and then, Midna spoke.

"…I knew it…sacred spirits are all the same…"

* * *

The group arrived at Castle Town soon after their meeting with the strange spirit of the Forest, only to see a huge crystal like barrier covering the castle up ahead. Zelda looked up from her spot upon the Master Sword's hilt, and gave a small mental gasp. _The castle…why is there…a magical barrier around it? _the hawk princess wondered as Link began to look around, confused as she was. They heard many small conversations as they made their way to Telma's Bar, mostly about the castle and about the princess. The gossip usually started with, 'What in the name of Din is that?' or something of that sort, then, their conversation shifted to the princess, were they would whisper either good things or bad things, depending on the kind of person. Zelda didn't say anything as she heard the insults from her people, she was pretty much used to them by now, since she was a small girl, since she learned that she was the only heir to the throne. Of course, that information had a lot of people…as they would say, ticked off. Some other thoughts, however, would also creep into the princess's mind…feelings of guilt that didn't seem to fit the feelings of guilt she felt at the moment. Maybe it had something to do with that, Temple of Time…she knew she had heard that name somewhere before.

Link grumbled under his breath, shaking his head at the gossip. Zelda didn't bother with the gossip much, but there was a particular conversation that caught her ears. "Maybe if we had had a man as a ruler, this wouldn't have happened," whispered one of her knights to another. The other knight nodded.

"Yeah, a man is much more powerful than a woman in terms of strength…would have saved us all the damn trouble…" he murmured, earning a few indignant looks from the women nearby. Apparently they didn't appreciate that kind of speech towards their sex. "She might as well be dead…"

"Yeah…she's better off dead than ruling this place…" Zelda looked down at the ground, while this insult hadn't been the worst she had heard on the way, it had managed to hit a nail in her heart. After all, wasn't it her fault that the kingdom was like it was?

"_Hey, I wouldn't listened to them…they are just stubborn and cowardly idiots," _came the imp's voice, making the princess look up, if just a little.

"_Thank you for your kind words, Midna…but they would not be necessary…I have heard worst…"_

"_Yeah, sure…" _Midna said sarcastically, Zelda could almost image her rolling her eyes in the shadows. _"Those guys don't even know what happen…they think you just gave up your kingdom, well, I had thought so too…well, when I figured you out…" _Both stood silent as Link tried to maneuver his way through the crowd, being stopped once in a while by a vendor or a beggar. _"but…I guess, just like them, I don't really know the details…" _

"_I'll bore you with the dialogue…" _

"_Doesn't matter. Those spirits seemed to make it their job telling Link all about their lives…I could have gone to sleep if we weren't in a crisis." _Zelda heard Midna chuckle as she said that. _"I've been missing sleep thanks to them!" _The hawk princess laughed, and watched as Link gave a few rupees to a beggar, who had not let go of his hand as the man gave him the blessings from the Goddesses, over and over again. Apparently he had given him a purple rupee. _"So…what happened?" _Zelda took a deep breath, before she looked up at her castle, barely sighting Bulblins upon its many roofs.

"…_I had been in a meeting with a few of the Generals in my army when Zant struck…he came straight to my castle, not bothering to cause pandemonium on the streets of the town…" _Zelda looked away from her castle, and spotted some children playing with sticks nearby, others, watching street performers silently, accompanying the show with laughs. _"…as my castle was attacked, my people knew nothing of it…they were completely left out…why? Even I do not know…what I do know is that Zant's entrance was very unexpected…me and my men had very little time to prepare…and so, we were attacked…it only took two of those creatures to defeat sixty of my best men…" _

"_Sixty? I thought tha—unless…you don't mean to say that…" _

"_Most of my men ran away from the creatures as soon as they saw them…" _Zelda admitted. _"Others had the excuse of guarding the town…but still, they were cowardly…an embarrassment…but, even if they had stayed behind…they would have changed nothing." _Zelda looked back at the castle, as she spoke again. _"Those creatures of shadows…I could sense their poor souls within them…calling out…" _she admitted, hearing Midna sigh.

"_Yeah…they used to be Twili before…Zant cursed them…" _

"_That would explain their pleas…I could hear them as they killed my men…and Zant, well, he was another story…he…he easily came upon my throne room…" _

"_And did you fight?"_ Zelda shook her head.

"_We never got the chance…he gave me a ultimatum…to either die or give up…" _

"_Let me guess…you decided to give up, instead of challenging his power…" _The hawk princess nodded, as she balanced herself on top of Link's hilt, when he accidently had bumped into someone.

"_Yes…after I surrendered…he decided to torture me…and then, he transformed me into this…" _Zelda extended her wings to show her point. _"I barely managed to escape…but, I don't really recall the details…then, Link found me…" _

"_Ah…I get it…that would explain why the princess knows a simple rancher, right?"_

"_We-well…I suppose so…" _Zelda had to hold her breath. The last thing she wanted to tell the imp that hid on Link's shadow, was that she had ended up in falling in love with him.

"_Yeah…sure…" _she heard Midna giggle in her mind, and Zelda began to wonder if she knew that the princess loved the goat herder. The princess didn't dwell on the problem long enough, as Link had already arrived at the bar.

"Well, here it is…let's see if Telma's around," the hero told the two of them, as he opened the door.

As soon as Link stepped into the room, he was greeted by a happy face, and an armored hand wave. Telma and Shiro, who sat near the bar table, waved at Link from their places. "Oh my! Link! It's you, honey!" Telma cried, leaving her work alone in the bar, to go and give the hero a hug, which he returned. She, then, gave Zelda a pat on the head. "How've you been, honey? Well, I hope so!"

"Well, going around, here and there…"

"Well, you have good timing, I was just talking about you!"

"Me?"

"Yeah, honey! You do remember when I told you about that group that was willing to protect Hyrule at all costs? Those guys over there," Telma pointed to a table nearby. "are the friends I mentioned, the ones trying to help deal with all the troubles in Hyrule. Hey, everyone!" she called, getting the attention of three of the people sitting on the table nearby. One was a scholar or something like that by the way he dressed, another one was a young woman wearing armor, and another man wearing a lot of armor. They all looked at Link curiously, well, the scholar seemed to be more interested on him. "Introduce yourselves! This handsome young man is the infamous Link!" The scholar and the armored woman gave him a wave of acknowledgement, but the armored man only gave him a silent nod, which Link returned. Telma shook her head atthe rather silent presentation, and offered a seat to Link nearby. Shiro and the hero shook hands, glad to see each other again.

"Good to see you again, Link! You sure disappeared from Kakariko as soon as we arrived." Link laughed, nervously. This was all Midna's fault.

"Well, I kinda was a bit busy…sorry for not saying good bye, I wasn't given the chance," he glanced a bit at his shadow, whom he saw shrugged.

"Maybe I can guess!" Shiro told him. "You went to help the Zoras, huh?" the armored knight asked him, earning a shy nod. "Knew it! See, Telma," he turned to face the bar keeper, who smiled in returned. "this guy is sure one heck of a hero! Ain't he?"

"He sure is!" Telma laughed, but it was short lived as a customer entered the bar, and she went to attend to him.

"I see you have already met them," Shiro said, who glanced at the group, who's attention was at the map that lay on the table before them. "The one with the glasses, his name is Shad…he's a scholar of sorts…the girl with the fancy armor, she's Ashei…she's a good girl, but deadly with a sword…that other guy, the one with the helmet…I never did catch his name…"

"I see…and you? Are you part of this group?"

"Well, in a way…Telma offered me a place in this group…and well, I'm still thinking about it…after all, I'm still a knight of Hyrule…but, things have really messed up now…you probably saw it, huh? That barrier that appeared on the castle…"

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure even the Zoras saw it…" Link muttered, glancing at Telma, who was preparing a drink for another customer. "And…no one can get in?"

"Not even the birds…the poor critters slam into the damn place and fly away, disoriented…" Shiro sighed. "Maybe what Auru said was true…"

"Auru?"

"Yeah…he's an old man, an old knight and adventurer…said that the problem in the castle had something to do with something going on in the desert…"

"The desert?" Both he and the hawk princess leaned a little closer.

"Yeah…he said that he was investigating something in the desert…about some cursed mirror or something like that…"

"A mirror?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Fyras14: Yo, guys! ANother chapter up! Phew...this one took a while, especially since this whole chapter is actually two. Last time I wrote this story, I had divided this part in two...I decided to put them together due to the fact that what was this chapter divided by two on their own were too short...and it also saved me time. **

**However, you will only see this kind of chapters once in a while.(SPOILERS COMING UP FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN"T PLAYED TWILIGHT PRINCESS)**

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**Anyway, apart from this chpater getting a few changes, it explains a bit about the desert and the people in it. I;m working on another theory here, however, I also want to make a 'Ganon's in the story OMG' moment in the story. In my story, only a few people or spirits know about Ganondorf, and those who do however, assume that their is no way for him to come back. The "God" that Zant talks about could be anyone, however, and that's the reason that no one relates him to Ganon...yet...might not have pulled it off well, though, but oh well...hope you enjoy!  
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**Summary**: After the attack on her castle, Zelda manages to escape, half dead. Found by Link in the wild, she is taken care of, but when fate plays its harsh hand once more, the princess must do everything in her power to aid the hero, recover her kingdom, and maybe fall in love. AU Twilight Princess.

**Please read or review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.**

**Also remember, that this story is not a walkthrough, and that Zelda and its characters do not belong to me.**

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_When we are afraid we ought not to occupy ourselves with endeavoring to prove that there is no danger, but in strengthening ourselves to go on in spite of the danger._

**-Mark Rutherford**

**-Chapter 17-**

**-Desert Oasis-**

Midna couldn't help but smile from within Link's shadow as that knight, Shiro, told him about some old geezer that was looking for a mirror in the desert. Just their luck! Now, the only needed to head straight towards that desert and be done with it, hoping to not run into any trouble at all. _Yeah…because we are so good at avoiding it…_the imp thought.

"Auru believes that what had happened in the castle and the many things that are happening in the desert are related," Shiro said, looking at Link as the hero sat next to him.

"…Things? What sorts of things?"

"Well, you do know about Gerudo Desert, right?" Link shook his head.

"Not really, although I have heard of a desert, but not by name…"

"Well, that just might be it! This desert, the Gerudo, used to belong to a tribe made out of women, from what the tales say,"

"Women?"

"Yeah, unfortunately, the Gerudo were known as a band of thieves who stole from the travelers foolish enough to travel in the desert…a couple of hundred years ago something known as the Great War engulfed Hyrule after the leader of the Gerudos tried to take over the land of Hyrule…in order to ensure the survival of the tribe, the Gerudo agreed to a treaty that made them part of Hyrule but also forced them out of their home, the desert."

"They were kicked out?" Link asked, stunned. The knight shook his head as he took a sip from his drink.

"No…by the time of the Great War, the Gerudo's home had been destroyed thanks to their leader's actions; the King of Hyrule had offered them a peaceful solution. They became part of Hyrule. Some moved deeper into the desert, others just became part of Hyrule. And, the desert, in a way, was abandoned…and as the years passed, getting there was impossible." Shiro stopped, deep in thought. "Just before that barrier appeared in the castle, a group of knights that were scouting an area close to the desert reported to Auru that a strange black light had…sprouted from the desert and touched the sky…"

"…Really?"

"Can't say for sure…I didn't see anything odd two days ago, though…and I was on guard duty…" Link exchanged glances with his shadow, as Zelda, sat on the Master Sword's hilt.

"_You know anything about all this, princess?" _Midna asked, watching as Link ended the conversation, explaining to Shiro that he was going to investigate the desert.

"_What Shiro speaks is the truth…years ago, war raged in our land of Hyrule. It all began with greed and ended in death," _the hawk princess explained, as the hero heard Shiro telling him that his horse was in a nearby stable as the knight had brought him with him just in case he spotted Link on the way. _"The Gerudo, before the war, had already divided…it was this splitting in their ranks that forced their leader's hand…he fell in battle..."_

"_Wait, 'he' fell?" _Midna interrupted, Link was already outside, quickly finding Epona on a nearby stable. _"I thought that Shiro guy had said that those Gerudo thieves were female…"_

"_Not their leader…every hundred years, as per Gerudo tradition, a male is born," _the hawk princess watched silently as Link paid the young boy in the stable and received Epona in return, who greeted Zelda; she returned the greeting. _"This male is destined to lead them…but…their leader at the time of the Great War…hmm…the records spoke very little of him…they did not elaborate…only that they talked of a great hero that came to aid the people and imprisoned the evil man…" _

"_Ah…I see…" _

Zelda nodded, and then, looked at the distance, as if in thought.

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It took them most of the day, but they had finally arrived at the Great Bridge of Hylia. However, before Epona could even cross it, the hero stopped her, and looked around.

"What is it?" asked the imp hidden in his shadow.

"How did we get down the last time?"

"Well, seeing as we were about to be burned alive that time, we didn't exactly have much of a choice on that matter…we jumped, remember?"

"…and we got back up here…using that cannon…right?" Zelda looked back at the hero in confusion, wondering where he was getting at. Everyone was silent, until Midna spoke,

"…go dive, doggy."

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Zelda flew above Link's wet form, as she tried hard not to laugh in mid-air. The Twili imp was sharing a bit of the princess's humor, saying that Link would have looked much more charming if he had actually bothered to do an artistic dive. Link whispered back, his face red with anger, saying why she didn't try it herself. Midna would respond saying that she already had, she didn't need second tries. The hawk princess had to fly above the hero, as he was moving too much around, stomping the ground in fury, making it almost impossible for Zelda to make her nest on top of the hilt of the sword.

It took a while for him to finally calm down, and look back at Zelda, their eyes meeting. Damn those blue eyes! "Hey, Shannon…can you do me a favor? Can you take a look around the place and see if you can spot an old man around here?" The hawk princess nodded, and quickly left her spot on the hilt.

She flew all over the lake, finally spotting a man in a nearby tower. The hawk princess couldn't really make him out well, since he wore a hood over his head, but she easily deduced that this person was Auru. After all, what other random person could be looking out into the southeast region of her land, a largely unexplored desert area, with a telescope of all things? The hawk princess quickly returned to Link, and guided him towards the tower.

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Link finally reached the end of the ladder, wondering if the hooded man had heard him. He only hoped that he was Auru, he didn't want to go looking for an old man all around the lake, especially with the Zoras looking at him…all because of Midna. The hero only took one step towards the man, before the latter broke the silence. "I thought it was about time for you to arrive…" he told him, making Link stop in his tracks. Shannon shifted uncomfortably in the hilt of the Master Sword, as if nervous. The man turned around, putting his telescope down, but not taking his hood off. "Master Link, is it?" Link looked back at the hooded man, and nodded. The hooded man nodded back, and then, removed his hood revealing gray hair and a gentle face. "My name is Auru. Telma has talked much about you, Master Link…I have heard of all of your deeds from her." Link scratched the back of his head, nervously.

"Well…I…I…" Auru chuckled a bit, before he glanced behind him.

"So…have you come to investigate the desert as well, young man? The Gerudo Desert…" Auru said, turning to face Link. "once the home of ancient thieves, who soon disappeared from this land…as their home became the resting place of a great prison built to hold the worst criminals that this land has ever known…it is said," the older man stared at Link right in the eyes, as if trying to find something amusing in them. "…that criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror…deep in the prison…now, that prison is condemned surrounded by the red sands that were the death of many….even the road to the desert is impassible…"

"Impassible?" Link asked. _Now…how the heck am I going to get into the desert! _

"And…that is why I am investigating this place…" Auru went on, glancing at the distance, before looking back at Link. "And what about you, Master Link? Are you planning to venture into the desert to confirm my suspicions?"

"Well…I was planning to, but…you just said that the road there is not passable…" The hero sounded a bit disappointed as he said that. Auru only chuckled.

"The road to the desert may be impenetrable, but that doesn't mean you cannot get there…"

"Huh?"

"Perhaps I can help you, Master Link." Auru pointed towards the lake below them. "You see Lake Hylia below us? A man named Fyer runs an amusement ride of sorts here." At the mention of that man's name, Link's face turned into a small frown, but it quickly was placed by a calm look. "Give him this." From a small leather bag attached to his back, Auru produced a small piece of paper which he gave to Link. The hero took the paper, and looked back at Auru, confused.

"And this?"

"Your ticket to the desert…give that to Fyer, he shall not refuse the request, and then, let him take care of it…all should go well…" Link made a face.

"I doubt it…"

* * *

Link made a face as the short man with the appearance of a clown, Fyer, smiled up at him. Shannon stood still upon the hilt of the Master Sword, wondering who the clown before them was, and confused why the hero had a strange, and a rather annoyed expression on his face when he saw the clown. "Well, well…if it isn't the luck fella! How do you do?" Link only gave Fyer a nod. "Okay, eh? Well, how was your last trip? You land on the rocks?"

"No…" Now Shannon simply looked confused, as Link's look became even more annoyed, and his shadow shivered below him. "Actually, I came here…to get a ride…"

"Another one, huh?"

"Yes…but, here, take this first." From his small pocket hidden somewhere in his green tunic, the hero took out the small note that Auru had given him earlier. Fyer looked at the note confused, before he took it. A few seconds later, Fyer began to murmur to himself.

"Hrrm…from old Auru, huh…says here that I should give you one of the secret options not available to the public…the oasis flight…" Fyer deposited the letter in his own pocket, before he grinned up to Link. "You sure got luck, fella! This one is all paid for you can go in and I'll let ya fly!" The clown looked up at Shannon, who eyed him curiously with her blue eyes. "The little birdy is going too, fella?" Link shook off of his annoyed look, and looked at Shannon, worry in his face.

"…well, she is coming…" He gestured at Shannon to come to his hand, which she did, confused. Link then covered most of her body with his two hands, causing the hawk to squeak in surprise. "Trust…me…you will be begging before we even get there…" Link whispered to her, causing a look of confusion to emanate from the hawk, which was quickly replaced by a hint of horror.

"So, you wanna go, fella?" Link nodded, as he watched the door to the suppose cannon open. Fyer gave him a grateful nod, and watched the hero and hawk enter the cannon. "All right then…but remember, next time, you gotta pay!" Link gave him a look that said, 'Whoever said I want to come back again?' before the door closed. Fyer went back to his machine, and began to turn the gadget. "One for oasis…FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Soon after those words left his mouth, a loud explosion was heard, followed by a group of screams.

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Link quickly got up from the desert sands, as Shannon flapped her wings to relieve herself from some of the sand that had managed to make its way to her feathers. The hero grumbled under his breath as he dusted himself wondering why he had to get somewhere the hard way. Somehow, he felt that this wouldn't be the last time he would use Fyer's services…and that's the part he hated. "Well…there weren't any rocks this time around…" Midna murmured from her place in Link's shadow, causing Link to nod his head asShannon took her place on top of the Master Sword's hilt, shaking some sand out of herself. Link was about to take a step towards the sands of the Gerudo, when somebody stopped him. A small hand. Turning his head around, he looked back at Midna, who had a rather shy look on her face.

"Midna?" he asked her, wondering what was wrong to make her so shy all of the sudden. "Is something the matter?" The hawk, too, appeared worried about the Twili imp's rather strange behavior.

"I wanted to tell you something…before we go deeper into the desert…something that is very important…" Link and Shannon exchanged glances, and nodded, understanding. "Do you remember what the spirits said about the Fused Shadows? What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm?" Link was confused at first, as he began to dig through his memory…something about the evil magic, the Fused Shadow, evil interlopers…aha!

"…you know what happened to them?" Midna lowered her head in shame, as if the history of those evil ones greatly affected her.

"They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses…it was another world entirely…the antithesis of Hyrule, you could say…where the sun shines bright." Midna sighed deeply, before she went on. "Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually this new world was called the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light…they were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule…this…this is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors…so," she faced Link and Shannon, as if trying to find some sort of obliviousness, which she found none. "Do you understand what I am?" Link gave a faint nod, as if the information he had just heard ashamed the Twili imp before him. "…I'm a descendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm…" she told them, turning her back on them. "It was a peaceful place…until Zant took control of the Twilight Realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts…it's all clear to me now that he somehow gained great evil power previously unknown to our tribe…in any case," she faced Link and Shannon again, her uncovered eye not meeting theirs. "I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight Realm without…his power…" Midna hissed the last part, before she went on. "…but there's another tale told by my people. Though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness."

"A link? You mean…" the hero trailed of, and glanced back at Midna, who nodded in response.

"Yes…the Mirror of Twilight. This great mirror was passed to the protectors of Hyrule, for them to protect the link between our worlds…it's also our only path to the Twilight Realm…and we must get there!" Link gave her a smile and a nod.

"Come on, then…"

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Walking through the desert had sure been harder than walking on the bottom of the sea, but Link had naturally gotten used to it. Of course, the desert itself wasn't as safe as it made itself look, as some strange snake like monsters found it their job to cause trouble for Link as he made his way deeper into the desert. Using the clawshot he had gotten earlier on his journey with one hand and sword in the other, Link had taken care of the strange snakes quite easily, with a little help from Shannon, who was able to dig her talons in some of the snakes and throw them towards Link, who would easily take care of them.

It was hallway through the mesa that they finally saw it. A huge marbled rock, or something of that sort. Shannon was flying around the rock, as if finding it interesting. Inspecting it from here and there. Link and Midna, who had gotten out of his shadow to look at the portal a few feet above them. "Hmm…" she murmured looking at the portal. "Those guys got something out here…"

"You mean, like that?" the hero asked her, pointing at the huge rock, as Shannon flew around it.

"Yep…something like…" Midna suddenly trailed off, catching Link's attention.

"Something wrong?"

"Doesn't that piece of stone look familiar?"

"Huh?" Link moved his eyes away from the Twili imp towards the huge stone; Shannon was standing in front of it, looking back at Link as if telling him something. Link went closer towards the rock, trying his best to not fall deeper into the sand that made up its resting place. Once he got closer, he began to examine it, after a few seconds or so, he yelped in surprise. "This…this…looks exactly like…the bridge of Eldin!"

"Yeah, it does look familiar…" Midna floated closer towards the piece of rock, that was in reality a piece of the Eldin Bridge. "So, this is where those guys tossed it to, huh?" she looked back at Link, as Shannon was already settling on top of the hilt of his sword. "Should we put it back, or do you want to leave it for another day?"

"Put it back. We might need to cross that bridge later on." Midna nodded, as she prepared to transport the piece of the bridge. Link moved away from the rock, and watched as Midna, using that strange hand of hers made of hair, forced the piece up in the air, towards the portal. As if her hand was lifting a heavy weight, it raised itself up, with some difficulty, before the piece of the Eldin bridge went up. It broke into a million black particles before it went straight towards the portal, disappearing from their sight.

"There we go!" Midna cried, grinning. She quickly disappeared into Link's shadow, as the hero moved towards the red sands of the desert, noticing in the distance a structure that seemed far away.

_That must be it…then…_he thought, as he ran towards them.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

** Link had almost missed being hit by an arrow by a few inches, taking out his bow as quickly as he could, he pointed the arrow at the approaching Bulblins on top of their boars, all wielding bows and arrows each. Shannon quickly took to the skies, taking care of the other Bulblins, who were on the distance, aiming their arrows at Link, who evaded them with ease. **

Taking out an arrow, Link let it fly towards one of the incoming Bulblins, who let go of his own arrow that missed Link, as he fell to the ground. The Bulblin's boar was left in a state of confusion by the sudden attack, and rammed against the other boar, who in turn shook his rider off of his back. Taking this chance, Link took out his sword and quickly took care of the rider, who only groaned in pain and collapsed. Shannon soon returned, nodding her head at Link as she landed nearby. Looking back in the distance, Link could see the many barricades that the Bulblins had put up, blocking his path. _Now, how in the world do I get past that…_As if to answer his question, one of the boars walked past him, ignoring him as it contemplated its surroundings. "I hope you're not thinking what I think you are thinking…" Midna said from the hero's shadow, pointing a finger at the large boar.

"Unless you have a suggestion…"

"Use bombs."

"Too hard…what's to say more of those guys aren't waiting by the barricade?" he pointed a finger towards the barricade that covered the entrance to the structure, that by closer inspection, led to some sort of small valley of rocks that hid more sand in their wake. The hero, not expecting an answer, jumped on top of the boar. The animal, not expecting this movement, let out a loud screech, before it made a mad dash towards the barricade, as Link held on tightly by its hair. Up the air, a worried Shannon followed, and she seemed to wince as the two, animal and man, crashed against the wooden barricade, which sent splinters and pieces of wood everywhere.

The two were hallway through the small valley of rocks, when suddenly a Bulblin appeared out of nowhere, and was prepared to kill Link with an arrow. Before Shannon could react, however, Link let go of the boar, and watched as the boar trampled the monster under its feet before it ran off, deeper into the red sands of the Gerudo Desert. Preparing for the worst, Link got out his sword and shield, while Shannon stayed in the air, and as quickly as they could ran(or flew, in Shannon's case) away from the tower of rocks, only to run into another dilemma. Another Bulblin camp, and this time, with many Bulblins guarding the entrance to the place they needed to go. The prison, where the Mirror of Twilight lay.

Link groaned, realizing that this will really hurt, Master Sword or not.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Once inside the Bulblin camp, the hero was attacked without end. Bulblins came from here and there, wanting to crush Link's skull with their clubs and swords(that by some miracle, few knew how to use). While Shannon took care of the foes up in the watch towers, Link went one to twenty on the ground.

Slashing and cutting, dodging and blocking, the hero was able to trick the group of Bulblins as they went to attack him, hitting a few of their own in the process. But no matter how many Link took out, more seem to take their place soon after, but that didn't deter the hero in the slightest as he continued his assault on the evil monsters, being careful to not be touched by their weapons. Minutes turned to hours, and light turned to darkness upon the camp, and the hero wondered how in the world he and Shannon could fight for so long. Soon, the Bublins, realizing that they were losing, quickly left the scene, not wanting to face death at the hands of the hero.

Seeing as they were heading deeper into the camp, both man and hawk followed after them, until they went past a gate, that soon closed when Link had ran past it. "…this is not a good sign…" the hero murmured, as he looked around the new darkness that engulfed him. He was inside some sort of chamber, where everything was a bit dark, even Shannon, he noticed, had trouble locating where she was. Link was about to call her to his side when he suddenly noticed something odd. A boar, looking stupidly at another gate, almost the same design as the one that had closed on him previously. The hero walked cautiously towards the boar, sparing glances around him to see if there was another Bulblin that wanted his 'autograph'. When he saw none, he dropped his shield and sword a little, and walked out towards the—

"_LOOK OUT!" _Link froze at the sound of that voice.

"LINK! Look out!" Midna cried from his shadow, snapping the hero off of his trance. Link only looked at the fallen boar, before he himself was hit straight in the stomach, throwing him to the ground, where the hero was soon losing consciousness.

"_LINK!" _came that voice again, waking Link up just in time for him to roll away from the axe that wanted to cut him in two. Looking towards his enemy, the hero gave an inaudible gasp. It was that Bulblin again, the leader of the gang of Bulblins. He was the one that had kidnapped Colin and blocked his way towards Kakariko when he was helping Ralis. But, how?

"You have to be kidding me!" Midna cried from his shadow, as the hero evaded another axe attack from the Bulblin leader. "How many times do we have to take care of this guy for him to leave us alone!" Link couldn't help but agree with her, as he dodged another axe attack. He noticed that Shannon was preparing to attack the monster, but she was stopped by Link's command.

"DON'T!" He ordered her, as he sent a straight blow towards the Bulbin leader's stomach. The Bulblin lost his footing, but quickly recovered, as he sent another axe blow towards Link, who managed to deflected with his shield. Catching the Bulblin by surprise, the hero was able to give him a set of good slashes from his sword, before he tackled him with the Hylian Shield. At least, now that Link thought about it, paying two hundred rupees for this shield hadn't been a total waste after all.

Not waiting for the Bulblin leader to swing his axe again, Link tackled the leader once more with his shield, before he sent a deadly blow towards his chest and arm. Twirling around, the hero hit the beast once more as he lay distracted. Letting out a cry, the Bulblin leader, dazed and in pain because of the many cuts on his body, fell to the ground, the axe discarded next to his body. Link calmly waited, and watched in amazement as the Bulblin leader stood up once more. The hero prepared himself for a second fight, only to watch in numb shock as the Bulblin leader only growled back at him, before he quickly left the room. Once he disappeared from the room, that's when trouble started once more. "Oh great! Just what we needed!" Midna cried from her place in Link's shadow.

The hero looked around frantically for a way out, finally spotting the boar, that had been thrown to the ground was standing up, and sniffing around, stupidly as always. The hero quickly put his sword and shield away, and took a chance. Link jumped on top of the boar, with Shannon on top of Link, her claws attached to his green tunic. Both held on tightly, one unto Link's clothes, while the other to the boar's hairs, as the boar let out a roar and tackled the gate before them, and then the other barricades that stood in the way. Link glanced behind him, avoiding a few splinters that came to his face. The fire consumed the small camp behind them, but Link couldn't let out a sigh of relief as the boar shook him off of its back. The hero landed face first towards the sand, Shannon flying above him.

Shaking the sand out of his head and body, the hero quickly got up. "…that was close…" he heard Midna mutter from his shadow. Spitting some sand out of his mouth, Link nodded.

"You're telling me…" Link told her, as he looked back at the giant building before them. The prison that Auru spoke of. It appeared like some sort of temple, with many columns surrounding it, a small stairway leading to the entrance, while a large symbol of the triforce lay buried not too far away from them.

"We are close now, Link…" Midna whispered.

"Yeah…" the hero told her, as he and Shannon made their way towards the temple; hoping that the inside was better than the outside.


End file.
